<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>CoC : The Consort (Rewrite) by Creative_Irony</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23910007">CoC : The Consort (Rewrite)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Creative_Irony/pseuds/Creative_Irony'>Creative_Irony</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Corruption of Champions</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Blood and Violence, Dark, F/M, I'm Bad At Tagging, Sex</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 19:16:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>51,844</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23910007</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Creative_Irony/pseuds/Creative_Irony</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Syrin, Champion of Ingnam for this year, sets off for Mareth seeking revenge for his parents' death.<br/>Truth can be a cruel thing however, and what he finds there shows not everything is as he believes it to be.<br/>Follow him in his journey as he slowly descends into corruption.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Initiation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> Forty-five. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Breathe out. Down.</p><p> </p><p>Breathe in. Up.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Forty-six. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Breathe out. Down.</p><p> </p><p>Breathe in. Up.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Forty-seven. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Breathe out. Down.</p><p> </p><p>Breathe in.</p><p> </p><p>My arms and shoulders ached. The muscles cried out for rest. I ignored them.</p><p> </p><p>Up.</p><p> </p><p><em> Forty-eight. </em> Two more.</p><p> </p><p>Breathe out. Down.</p><p> </p><p>Sweat dripped down my head, adding to the heavily-stained shirt I was wearing. </p><p> </p><p>Breathe in. Up.</p><p> </p><p><em> Forty-nine. </em> Last one.</p><p> </p><p>Fatigue and agony wracked my mind as I lowered my body once more from the bar. I pushed it aside, thinking of the sole reason I was pushing myself to the limit like this every day instead.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Fifty. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Mom. Dad. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I miss you. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>I let out one last breath as I finished the final pull-up, slowly lowering myself down to the ground for good measure. Pulling my drenched shirt over my head, I tossed it aside before having a seat for some much-needed rest. ‘<em>Man, I am tired… shouldn’t have done that extra set.’ </em></p><p> </p><p>A soft chuckling brought me out of my thoughts. I turned around to see an old man dressed in simple robes, wielding a crooked walking stick. </p><p> </p><p>Elder Nomur. Of course he’d be the one to find me.</p><p> </p><p>“Even on your big day, Syrin? I told you you should get some rest before leaving.” he said with a warm smile, offering a flask of water.</p><p> </p><p>I returned his smile as I accepted the drink, gulping down half and pouring the rest over my head. Ah, that felt good. “Oh, you know me, Elder. Just trying to keep myself warmed up, you know? Can’t let my guard down, not with what’s coming.”</p><p> </p><p>He chuckled again. “Still, you should save your energy for where it’s needed, son.”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t worry - there’s plenty more where that came from.” I replied, grinning as I flexed an arm. The many years of exercise and training had paid off well, and I was confident I was one of the most physically capable males in the village. It was a much-needed trait, however - not anybody was selected to be the Champion of Ingnam. I’d had to endure so much to make sure I was befitting of the title.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, son, make sure you do get some rest from now on then. Sunset’s only a few hours away - you should wrap up whatever business you have left here.” Nomur said as he turned to leave. He stopped mid-way, looking over his shoulder at me. “Oh, and Syrin?” he called.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes?”</p><p> </p><p>“You might want to say goodbye to your parents one last time. The portal does not allow weapons to pass through, remember?” he informed me, gesturing to my belt. I looked down to see he was pointing at my knife - the only thing I had left that used to belong to my parents. I’d been so focused on my training that I had forgotten I still had it on me. </p><p> </p><p>With a sigh I removed the sheathed knife from the belt, holding it in one hand. </p><p> </p><p>“Yes, of course. Thank you for reminding me, Elder.”</p><p> </p><p>The old man gave me a nod and turned to leave once more.</p><p> </p><p>I looked at the knife in my hand one last time before following him outside.</p><p> </p><p>~-~</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Valarian and Surca</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Loving parents of Syrin</b>
</p><p>
  <b>Taken long before their time</b>
</p><p>
  <b>R.I.P</b>
</p><p> </p><p>I stared at the tombstone as I kneeled in front of it, just like I had done so many, many times before. </p><p> </p><p>I’d come to accept my parents’ death after a few agonizing years of sadness, but that didn’t make coming here any easier. Not coming here might have been a solution to that, except that made me feel even worse in a different way. </p><p> </p><p>I choked back a sob as I tried to hold back the tears, and just like every last time, failed within seconds. Droplets of sadness stained the rock as I wept, wishing for a chance to see my parents again to whatever deity might be listening.</p><p> </p><p>None of them ever listened.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey Mom, Dad. I- I won’t be coming here again. I’m the Champion for this year, see? So I- I thought I should let you know… that I won’t be needing this anymore.” I bit back another sob as I took out the knife and placed it on the ground before the tombstone. </p><p> </p><p>It used to be my father’s. Now he was getting it back.</p><p> </p><p>“I know you wanted me to keep it with me at all times, but Elder Nomur says the portal doesn’t allow weapons to pass through. And since I don’t know what happens if you do try to take one through it… well, I decided it wasn’t worth the risk. So, here you go. I guess this is goodbye.”</p><p> </p><p>Tears streamed down my cheeks as I stood, taking a final look at the grave of my parents.</p><p> </p><p>“I promise I will avenge you. I swear on my soul.” I whispered, and turned to leave.</p><p> </p><p>I didn’t look back.</p><p> </p><p>~-~</p><p> </p><p>The setting sun began to show its final rays of light as we neared our destination. Elder Nomur led the way, though with how tired he was I thought it would be better if I went first so I could pull him along. </p><p> </p><p>Then again, he was the one who knew where to go. Hm.</p><p> </p><p>“Elder, are we almost there?” I asked him, watching to make sure he didn’t trip on a rock and injure himself. I’d have to carry him down the entire way back if he did.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, Syrin. We are almost there. Just a few more minutes and we should see the cave that contains the portal.” he replied, looking back at me with a smile. Unfortunately, at that very moment his foot slipped, and he lost balance.</p><p> </p><p>“Elder!” I shouted, grabbing him by the shoulders as he stumbled, dropping his walking stick. “Are you alright?” I asked him, retrieving his cane.</p><p> </p><p>Nomur coughed as he took the stick from my hands, using it to support himself as he stood up again. “I- I am fine, son. Thank you.”</p><p> </p><p>I sighed.  “I told you to just give me a map so I could come here by myself. You’re in no condition to be hiking up Mount Ilgast.”</p><p> </p><p>He let out a weak laugh at that. “No, Syrin, I can’t do that. It’s my duty as an Elder; if we’re going to send you on a one-way journey that could lead in your death, the least I can do is accompany you on your way out. After all, who knows when you would find another soul to talk to once you’re there?”</p><p> </p><p>I shook my head.  “Still, I don’t think your duty is worth potential serious injury, Elder. Who’s going to go with the next Champion if you get yourself killed up here while trying to go back down that path?” I asked him, staying much closer than before in case of a second accident.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I have been lucky this far. Perhaps it’ll hold for a few more years?” he chuckled, gesturing to a patch of tall grass between a few large boulders to the side. “But it seems this argument will have to end here, for we have arrived. Syrin?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, Elder?”</p><p> </p><p>“Listen closely. I can not go any further with you, and this has nothing to do with my physical condition. Only the Champion is allowed beyond this point.” he told me, a serious tone in his voice. I nodded, taking careful note of what he said.</p><p> </p><p>“Past this grass, there will be a small cave opening to the left - it’s easy to miss, so watch out. Once you enter the cave, it will be completely dark for a short while until the portal opens. When it does, simply walk towards it - you will know when you see it.”</p><p> </p><p>I nodded again. “Left side. Got it.”</p><p> </p><p>“This is where we part ways, Syrin.” he said quietly. “I wish you good luck on your journey.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, Elder.” I replied, shaking his outstretched hand. “I will make sure to fulfill my duty as the Champion.” I headed towards the tall grass, ready to move on.</p><p> </p><p>Then I paused.</p><p> </p><p>And as a surprised Nomur watched, I threw my arms around him in a fierce bear hug. I bit back the tears as I choked out a final farewell. </p><p> </p><p>“Thank you for taking care of me for all these years, Elder Nomur.”</p><p> </p><p>I felt his own arms embrace me as he hugged me back. “It was my pleasure, Syrin. You gave me the joy of raising the son I was never granted.” he said softly, patting my backside. “But you must go now, Syrin. We can not prolong your departure any longer.”</p><p> </p><p>I stepped back and looked at him again. “I understand, Elder. Thank you again.”</p><p> </p><p>“May the gods be with you, Syrin.” </p><p> </p><p>That was the last thing I heard before the grass engulfed me.</p><p> </p><p>~-~</p><p> </p><p>Silence.</p><p> </p><p>That was the first thing I noticed as I made my way through the tall grass. Nomur’s figure had vanished within moments when I entered, and soon it seemed I was endlessly going around in circles within this grassy prison. On top of that, I suddenly realized that I could hear absolutely nothing. No slight blowing of the wind, no distant bird calls, not even the rustling of the grass as I waded through them. It was nearing the point that the sound of my own heartbeat was threatening to drive me insane.</p><p> </p><p><em> “Is this some sort of test?” </em> I wondered. <em> “To see if I have the mindset to be allowed entry?” </em></p><p> </p><p>Either way, I was hoping this would end soon. I was getting tired of walking around aimlessly in this grass - I had to go on to the portal to carry out my duty, dammit! I was the Champion of Ingnam! I wasn’t about to let some grass get in my way!</p><p> </p><p>Surprisingly enough, I stepped through into a small clearing the moment I had that thought. I looked around, bewildered. “Did this place just read my thoughts?” I said to myself, looking back at the grass I had just come through. It definitely didn’t seem that wide of an area for me to have been in there for hours.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright… the cave.” I muttered, deciding to put aside any thoughts about the weird grass and impossible physical dimensions. Sure enough, there was a small opening in the rock wall to my left - hidden behind a few small boulders. I would have walked right past it had I not known where to look. I crouched and ducked under the top of the entrance, standing up once I found there was enough space to do so. A tiny bit of light trickled in from outside, but what illumination it provided was minimal; I could see nothing.</p><p> </p><p>And suddenly, even that small amount of light vanished.</p><p> </p><p>I whirled around, staring at where(I thought) I had just entered from. Surely it couldn’t be that the sun had set completely within a few seconds? But if it was, then… </p><p> </p><p>I crouched again and extended an arm, seeking out the roof of the entrance with my fingers. </p><p> </p><p>Nothing.</p><p> </p><p>I waved my arms here and there, seeing if they landed against the walls, the roof, something.</p><p> </p><p>Still nothing.</p><p> </p><p>So first silence, and now darkness. What was next? Loss of my ability to speak? I let out a chuckle at that thought, but I hoped that wouldn’t actually happen - or already happened. I still couldn’t hear anything, so I wouldn’t even know if I’d lost my voice.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I’m here.” I called out to the darkness, spreading my arms out for emphasis. “Haven’t I already passed your test? Are you not going to open the portal for me?”</p><p> </p><p>The silence and darkness continued.</p><p> </p><p>“Fine. I’ll just… sit down here,” I said, doing just that - “and wait. I’ve got plenty of patience. Take your merry time.”</p><p>Unsurprisingly, I received no response of any kind.</p><p> </p><p>I let out a sigh and switched to simply laying on the floor.</p><p> </p><p>~-~</p><p> </p><p>“..in.”</p><p> </p><p>“Syrin.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“SYRIN!”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>I bolted upright, snapping my head this way and that as I was shaken awake. I sat up half-asleep, staring at my frantic father.  </p><p> </p><p>“Dad…? What’s going on?” </p><p> </p><p>Actually, there were a lot more questions I had right now. What was that smell? </p><p> </p><p>More importantly, why was it getting so hot in here?</p><p> </p><p>“Come on Syrin, we have to get out of here!” he shouted, practically dragging me out of my bed.</p><p> </p><p>“But dad, I-”</p><p> </p><p><b>“COME ON!”</b> he roared, throwing me through the doorway. I stumbled, nearly tripping over my own feet before starting to run. </p><p> </p><p>Why was it so hard to see? Where’s all this smoke coming from?</p><p> </p><p>I tried to take a breath and was instantly rewarded with an intense coughing fit, doubling over as I desperately gasped for air. My foot caught on something, sending me head over heels and landing on my back. Tears ran down my cheeks as my eyes burned from the smoke filling the hallway.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Hot. It’s too hot. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Why can’t I see? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> What is going on? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Then my vision went sideways as I was scooped off of the floor into my father’s arms. Through bleary eyes, I watched a burning piece of wood drop onto the spot I had been just a moment ago.</p><p> </p><p>“Hang in there, son.” came his voice, but it was very faint. Why was it so hard to listen to him? </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I’m getting dizzy. And kinda sleepy, too. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I think I’ll just take a quick nap here… </em>
</p><p> </p><p>The sound of shattering glass snapped me back into reality as we went straight through a window, dropping onto the ground below. Dad shouted something incomprehensible as we landed on the dirt - he’d taken the full brunt by having me land on top of him instead of the ground. He pushed me off of himself and stood, stumbling towards our burning house. I tried to follow him, only to be shoved back.</p><p> </p><p>“NO!” he yelled. “Stay there and wait, Syrin. I’m going to get your mother!”</p><p> </p><p>He turned and ran inside.</p><p> </p><p>“Dad, wait!” I tried to follow him again, only to be held in place by one of the townsfolk who had been watching. I screamed and fought for freedom, but I was just a child - and no match for the man holding me back.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“DAAAAAD!!”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>He never came back outside.</p><p> </p><p>Neither did my mother.</p><p> </p><p>~-~</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Whooooooom. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>A soft humming noise brought me out of my thoughts.</p><p> </p><p>I sat up and looked around for the source of the sound - not that I could see anything anyways - and found nothing.</p><p> </p><p>Then, in the darkness, a wisp of light appeared.</p><p> </p><p>It was a very strange light - while it did glow and was very much visible, it provided no illumination whatsoever. I still wasn’t able to see anything, not even the ground it hovered over.</p><p> </p><p>The wisp flickered.</p><p> </p><p>Then it multiplied. Several times. </p><p> </p><p>In no time at all, I found myself looking at an unnatural pink-purple ring of light, just wide enough for me to pass through. The glowing portal swirled and flared with demonic energy flickering out here and there, and I could feel my body reacting to it with a sense of growing warmth. Blood rushed to my groin as my manhood quickly rose to full mast, reaching a point where it was almost painfully hard. I looked down at the tent in my pants, unsure of how to respond.</p><p> </p><p>“Geez. Does this happen to all the Champions who came here, or are you just giving me special treatment?” I asked.</p><p> </p><p>The portal simply swirled in response.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright, alright. Well then, looks like it’s time to go…” With a grunt, I stood up, gathering my resolve and stepping forwards. The portal seemed to sense that I was approaching, slowly but steadily becoming brighter and wider; almost as if it was beckoning me to enter…</p><p> </p><p>I closed my eyes and leapt forward.</p><p> </p><p>~-~</p><p> </p><p>A mind-splitting headache greeted me as I finally woke up. “Uhhhh… my head…” I groaned, being painfully reminded that I was still rock hard. Sinful desire burned through my body as I got on my knees, unable to look up from the ground yet from the sunlight burning my eyes. As such, I was able to get a very clear view of the shadow looming across the ground in front of me.</p><p> </p><p>My training kicked in, sending me into a sideways roll and onto my feet before I even thought of acting. A surprised imp holding an empty vial came into my view as I stood up, still trying to clear my head. I tried not to look at the impossibly long cock dangling between his legs, though it looked so big and nice… I wondered what it would feel like as it stretched my-</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> What the hell? </em>
</p><p> </p><p>What was happening? Why was I…</p><p> </p><p>Another wave of lust washed over me, causing me to groan in involuntary pleasure as the imp spoke. <em> “I’m amazed you aren’t already chasing down my cock, human. The last Champion was an eager whore for me by the time she woke up. This lust draft made sure of it.” </em> He gave the empty vial a shake for emphasis.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Oh, he’s got such a nice juicy butt… I bet his ass would feel really g- </em>
</p><p> </p><p>I screamed and slammed my head against the ground, the sudden spike of pain temporarily clearing my thoughts. The imp laughed at that, tossing the vial aside. <em> “It’s no use, human. Just accept your fate.” </em> He started to come towards me.</p><p> </p><p>“FUCK OFF!” I yelled back, grasping at the dirt at my feet so I could throw it into his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>My fingers returned the sensation of something cold and hard. And sharp, if the blood now running down my fingers was anything to go by. I looked down to see what it was that just cut me.</p><p> </p><p>There, lying on the ground, was my father’s knife. The sheath lay a few feet away.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> What the? Why is this… </em>
</p><p> </p><p>No time to think. For now, kill the imp.</p><p> </p><p>The small demonic creature’s cocky smile changed to an expression of sheer terror as I leapt at him with my knife, barely managing to avoid my first slash. The second nicked him on the arm, and the third went completely wide as he took flight, desperately flapping his wings in an attempt to get away.</p><p> </p><p><em> “FOOL! You could have had pleasure unending... but should we ever cross paths again you will regret humiliating me! Remember the name Zetaz, as you’ll soon face the wrath of my master!” </em> he cried, speeding off into the distance. I briefly considered throwing the knife at his back while he was still in range, then decided the potential loss of my only weapon was not worth the satisfaction. </p><p> </p><p>With the imp gone, there was a lot to think of now. How did my father’s knife end up here? How did that imp know where to find me the moment I entered this realm? No, most importantly - <em> why </em> did he know I would be here? Someone must have informed him, but who?</p><p> </p><p>Perhaps finding this ‘Zetaz’ would provide some answers.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. New Beginnings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I took a look of my surroundings, taking in the view of the world I would now be living in. The ground and sky were both tinted different shades of red - slightly unnatural, but not unnerving - but the earth itself felt like the dirt back in Ingnam. Everywhere I looked, I saw the same thing - a hellish landscape, dotted with formations of rocks and low hills here and there. Travel would be an issue if this was what the entire place looked like.</p><p> </p><p>“Which way to go, I wonder…” I muttered. Choosing the easiest solution, I closed my eyes and raised an arm. A small cloud of dust rose up as I spun a few times, coming to a halt with my arm pointing in a random direction.</p><p> </p><p>"Well, looks like I'm heading that way." I remarked, picking up my knife. After a brief pause, I retrieved the vial the imp had left behind as well. It was slightly cracked from when he had tossed it aside, but otherwise it seemed fine. A small amount of pink fluid remained inside, and I raised an eyebrow as I looked at it.</p><p> </p><p>"So that's what he fed me before I woke up…" I thought out loud. "This isn't just a piece of glass. Someone made this with proper equipment. So that means there's a lot more of this out there. Hmmm…" I decided to put the vial away for future use. Maybe I could store some water in it, if I could find some.</p><p> </p><p>Actually, that's a pretty good question now that I think of it. Where am I going to find food and water in this world? Certainly not here, this was a desert all things considered.</p><p> </p><p>This might be a problem.</p><p> </p><p>~-~</p><p> </p><p>After a while of aimless walking, I discovered a large rock formation in the distance. It looked like any other pile of rocks I'd passed- but something about this one caught my eye.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe it was just my eyes playing tricks on me. Or maybe…</p><p> </p><p>I let out a small 'aha!' as I noticed an opening on the other side. It was clearly human-sized, which meant there was room inside.</p><p> </p><p>My heart skipped a beat as I realized that meant <em> someone </em> could be inside as well. Was it worth the risk? Anyone- or anything- could be inside, or on their way back here. I looked around, thought for a moment, and unsheathed my knife.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Here goes nothing. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>~-~</p><p> </p><p>Darkness slowly started to take over my sights as I slowly ventured deeper into the passage. I was just about to think that maybe I should find a light source and return later, when suddenly a slight pricking sensation washed over my entire body. I instantly stopped and watched in awe as an entirely new sight unfolded before my eyes - a decent-sized room, lit with torches. A large chest and an armor rack took up one side, with a simple bed and desk lining the other. There was no way a structure of this size would fit inside the rock formation I’d entered; this had to be a magical construct.</p><p> </p><p>Which meant this belonged to a mage.</p><p> </p><p>Which <em> also </em> meant I was probably screwed. They would’ve received a warning that I’d entered their home without permission. I took a step back, feeling that pricking sensation again - and was surprised once more to see the entire room simply slip away into nothing. Going forward brought it back again swiftly.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Hmmmm… </em>
</p><p> </p><p>I went back through the ‘doorway’, picked up a small stone from the floor and threw it into the darkness, where the room <em> should </em> be if this was an ordinary physical structure.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Thwack. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>I went back through and scoured the floor to see if the stone was there.</p><p> </p><p>Nothing.</p><p> </p><p><em> ‘So wherever this place is, it’s not actually inside the rock formation. Interesting…’ </em> I thought, wondering what my next action should be. I could simply leave and take no risks. Or, I could wait around to see who came to get rid of me - and maybe strike up a conversation. Since I wasn’t immediately killed upon entry, the owner must have some degree of peacefulness… right?</p><p> </p><p>A small piece of paper on the desk caught my attention as I thought about what to do. I walked over and picked it up.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Greetings, dear traveler. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> If you are reading this, then the following should be true: </em>
</p><p>
  <em> -I have been killed or worse. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> -You are not one of them. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> -You have at least some degree of morality, for those with less concern would be going through my chest now. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Fortunately for you, if you had tried opening the chest before reading this letter, you would have met your demise instantly. There is a magical seal on the backside rigged to explode should the chest be opened without disabling it. On the other side of this paper there will be a mark containing my sigil. Hold it against the seal, and it will dissolve itself. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>I flipped the letter over to find that there was indeed an intricate magical symbol glowing softly. I walked over to the chest, pulled it away from the wall, and held the paper to its backside. There was a brief flash of light, and then nothing. I held up the paper again to see that the sigil was now gone.</p><p> </p><p><em> Alright, so I guess that means it won’t explode now if I open it… </em>I decided to read the rest of the letter before checking what was inside.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Inside my chest you should find various supplies and items that will last you a while, should you decide to take up residence in my den. I do not mind if you do, for it is no longer of any use to me. This place is hidden well from detection, and will serve as a fine refuge if you require one. Simply take this letter out of the room, and it will change itself to identify you as the owner. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> I wish you good luck on your journey, for I will need it myself as well. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Excellia, Champion of Ingnam </em>
</p><p> </p><p>My breath caught in my throat as I read the last line. So this was made by a previous Champion? Was she still alive? I had to find h-</p><p> </p><p>My frantic thoughts came to a halt as I realized there was more written on the bottom.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> If, by any chance, you are also a Champion of Ingnam, then that means I have failed. I have marked myself with a star on the back of my left hand, and the moon on my right. Those are magical markings and will not be modified under any circumstances. Should you come across a creature with those markings, know that it is no longer me, and take it down swiftly. I beg you to do this, for my sake. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“....”</p><p> </p><p>So that meant she was dead now. Or worse, whatever that meant. Judging by the implications of the last lines, I probably didn’t want to know. I sighed, and sat down on the bed. Despite looking simple, it was surprisingly comfortable. It had to be at least a few years old, since the imp had said the last champion had been taken by him - and yet it seemed good as new. Magic definitely seemed to come in handy here.</p><p> </p><p>“What do I do now…?” I said to myself, lying down on the mattress. “At least I’ve got a place to stay now, but I don’t even know where to go from here…” My sights shifted to the chest that I had just unlocked. I shrugged and decided to check it out now that I’d read all the letter had to offer.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, let’s see what you got…” I muttered, undoing the latch and raising the top.</p><p> </p><p>An assortment of edibles(I hoped) and drinks greeted me as I opened the chest. I raised an eyebrow at some of them, for they seemed to have… interesting, shapes. Was that pepper shaped like a dog’s dick of all things? Probably a good idea not to eat that. I pulled out bottles of strange liquids, reading the labels as I set them on the floor. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Bimbo Liqueur (Okay, definitely not drinking that…) </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Oviposition Elixir (Yep, not drinking that either…) </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Lust Draft (So there IS more of this. I knew it. Not drinking that.) </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Scholar’s Tea (Hmmm…) </em>
</p><p> </p><p>I decided drinking something named ‘Scholar’s Tea’ couldn’t be that dangerous. Unscrewing the cap, I brought it to my mouth and took a small sip. Nothing seemed to happen, at least visibly. </p><p> </p><p>I took another sip.</p><p> </p><p>And another.</p><p> </p><p>And another. This tea was actually pretty good, to be honest.</p><p> </p><p>Still nothing seemed to happen, except my head felt kind of weird. It almost felt as if I was… somewhat smarter. I couldn’t pinpoint the feeling exactly, but it just felt like it. At least that did live up to its name. I rummaged through the chest to see if there was more. </p><p> </p><p><em> Huh, there’s a lot more of this in here. I wonder if Excellia used this on her path of becoming a mage, heh. </em> I took out a few more to drink later, and left the others inside as I continued my search.</p><p> </p><p>Some weird-colored eggs. Try a little later.</p><p> </p><p>Weird-shaped fruit of all sorts. Do not eat, unless starving.</p><p>Fish fillet.</p><p> </p><p>Some sort of potion- wait, a fish fillet?</p><p> </p><p>I set down the potion in my hand and looked back at the piece of cooked fish I’d absentmindedly put aside. It seemed good enough, though since everything inside this place had to be at least a few years old I had no idea how it was still edible. Was this even actual fish? If so, there should be a river somewhere around that I can get more fish from…</p><p> </p><p>I sniffed it and took a bite.</p><p> </p><p>My tongue returned juicy flavors and the confirmation that it was indeed good to eat.</p><p> </p><p>A piece of fish that’s years old, and it tastes like it was just made. Magic, you are OP. </p><p> </p><p>At least that’s a win for me. The remainder was going down my throat before I knew it.</p><p> </p><p>I brushed off the crumbs from my mouth and continued searching the chest. By this point I was pretty sure the chest itself was also magical in some sort, because there was no way this many items would fit inside. I tried picking it up, and to my surprise, it lifted off the ground so easily I almost fell over backwards.</p><p> </p><p>Definitely magic. Maybe I should try learning some magic skills here if I can. Though, I doubt I’d be able to find a teacher.</p><p> </p><p>The rest of the chest was filled with what looked like peaches and a few books. The books I put aside after realizing there was no way to read them, and the peaches… well, it seemed whatever was going on with the fish was happening here as well - they seemed fresh and ripe. </p><p> </p><p>I cautiously took a bite.</p><p> </p><p>The resulting burst of juice and flavor brought a smile to my face, and I chuckled before devouring the rest like a starving man.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Thank you, Excellia. Your den will be of very good use to me. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>I spent the next few hours reorganizing the chest’s contents before laying down on the bed for a good night’s sleep.</p><p> </p><p>~-~</p><p> </p><p>“Mister.”</p><p> </p><p>I tugged on the old man’s sleeve. He didn’t respond, still staring at the smoking pile of burnt wood that used to be our house.</p><p> </p><p>I tugged again. “Mister.”</p><p> </p><p>He finally looked down at me. “Hmm? What is it, child?”</p><p> </p><p>“Where’s my parents?”</p><p> </p><p>The man froze up at that, looking at the house and then back at me. “Is that your house?” he asked quietly.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes. Where’s my parents?” I asked, still not understanding what was going on.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh gods, that means they’re…” he murmured. He bent over and picked me up, grunting as he took me into his arms. “What is your name, child?”</p><p> </p><p>“Syrin.” I answered.</p><p> </p><p>“Listen carefully, Syrin.” he said, looking at me in the eyes. “Your parents have gone away on a long journey. They won’t be coming back for a long time. Do you understand?”</p><p> </p><p>“But… why? Why would they leave me here? I want to be with them!” I said, wondering why my parents had left me behind.</p><p> </p><p>The old man shook his head. “Because it would be very dangerous for you to go with them, Syrin. You are still very young to be going anywhere out of the town. They did it to protect you, do you hear me?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes.” I hung my head. So I was alone now. Who was I going to be with?</p><p> </p><p>“Syrin.” A warm hand patted the top of my head. “Know this. Your parents love you very dearly and they always will. Do you understand?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes… but, where am I going to stay now? We don’t have any relatives in this town. It was just me and mom and dad…” I said sadly, tears beginning to form in my eyes.</p><p> </p><p>A sigh.</p><p> </p><p>The hand returned, this time resting on my back.</p><p> </p><p>“Syrin?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, mister?” I looked up to see the man’s face filled with concern and… sympathy?</p><p> </p><p>“You can stay with me, if you’d like.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh. Th- thank you?” I said, unsure what to say. </p><p> </p><p>He chuckled and set me down on the ground. “I suppose I’ll have to introduce myself if you’re going to be living with me now.” he said, ruffling my hair. </p><p> </p><p>“My name is Nomur. You can call me grandad if you wish.”</p><p> </p><p>~-~</p><p> </p><p>Silence greeted me as I woke up, sitting up in the bed with a yawn. I stretched my limbs, eager to start the day. Subconsciously, I looked around for a window for a measure of the time - only to remember where I was. </p><p> </p><p>“Right, no windows…” I muttered.</p><p> </p><p>Well, go figure. I guess I’ll just have to go outside for that.</p><p> </p><p>I packed a few items and got ready to leave… and then did a double-take as I looked at the armor stand. I could swear there was nothing when I came in here yesterday, and now there was a set of leather armor on it.</p><p> </p><p>“No way.” I said, poking it with a finger to see if it was an illusion.</p><p> </p><p>It was very much real.</p><p> </p><p>“Okaaaay...” Even if I’d somehow missed it the other day, there was <em> absolutely </em> no way this thing would fit me. This had to belong to the previous owner, who wasn’t even male if the name was of any suggestion.</p><p> </p><p><em> Still, it can't hurt to try… </em>  I gave it another look and pulled it off its stand, bringing it down over my head.</p><p> </p><p>It fit <b>perfectly.</b></p><p> </p><p>This was a piece of armor I’d scavenged from a complete stranger’s home, and it fit comfortably without any problems.</p><p> </p><p>You have got to be bullshitting me. Whatever magic is at work here, you are seriously OP.</p><p> </p><p>Giving the chestpiece a pat, I headed for the doorway, only to pause once more. I turned around and cleared my throat. </p><p> </p><p>“Uh, thanks for the armor. Thank you very much. I’ll be using this nicely.” I said to no one in particular. It was weird doing this, but I felt as if I’d have to say thanks to whoever- or <em> whatever </em>- had gifted me.</p><p> </p><p>I turned and headed out, thoughts of adventure keeping my spirits high.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Discoveries</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>An hour of walking later, the soft sounds of water splashing on sand brought me out of autopilot. I craned my head, trying to see where it was coming from - and just about made out a sparkling surface in the distance to my right.</p><p> </p><p>A lake. So this world does have water sources after all. I rushed towards the beach, eager to feel the water on my hands for the first time. My footsteps slowed down as I neared the edge, however.</p><p> </p><p>Something wasn’t right. This was no ordinary lake. I stopped a few feet away from the gently splashing waves and eyed the waters with suspicious eyes. My hand reached down for my flask, which I’d filled with clean water at the hideout before leaving.</p><p> </p><p>Was this even water? Considering this was the demons’ realm, that could be toxic or poisonous for all I knew. After a brief moment of thought, I picked up an empty clam shell. Dipping it into the water, I brought it up to my face for a closer look.</p><p> </p><p>And then the smell hit me.</p><p> </p><p>It didn’t smell <em> bad </em>, per se - but a whiff of it had me thinking of a room with the doors and windows closed, and an orgy going on inside.</p><p> </p><p>Sex. The water reeked of sex. In fact, it felt like I was getting a boner from smelling that right now. I threw away the shell immediately.</p><p> </p><p><em> So the water’s tainted as well. Figures. </em> Maybe I <em> could </em> drink it if I really, absolutely needed water - but for now that lake was going on the no-no list of drinks. I sighed and looked out across the lake, taking in the sad reality that such a nice view was a poisoned apple for all I cared.</p><p> </p><p><em> ‘Well, at least the view is nice, along with that island in the middle-’ </em>Wait, an island?</p><p> </p><p>I snapped my gaze back to the island sitting in the midst of the tainted waters, a single tree decorating its lands.</p><p> </p><p>Interesting. Maybe I should check that out, might be something of use there.</p><p> </p><p>“Now, how in the world am I going to get over there?” I asked myself, rubbing my chin in thought. There was no way I could swim to the island - all things aside, I didn’t want to risk going into the water - and it wasn’t like I could just build a boat and row to the island. Hmmmm.</p><p> </p><p>I decided I’d find a solution later on and began to take a walk around the perimeter for a change. </p><p> </p><p>~-~</p><p> </p><p>The glint of metal caught my eye as I continued on my walk. I quickly pulled out my knife, switching to a combat stance and preparing for a fight. My eyes darted about, searching for the source of the light… and then felt like an idiot as I realized the reflection came from a sword lodged deep in the trunk of a tree. I relaxed a bit, approaching the odd sight to get a better look.</p><p> </p><p>The tree was thick enough to encapsulate the entire blade. Nothing protruded from the far side at all. In another odd twist, there wasn’t any sap leaking around the undamaged bark that surrounded the sword. The hilt itself appeared to be made of bronze, with gold inlays along the outside of the handguard. </p><p> </p><p>I took a closer look, and realized they portrayed a stylized figure battling a horde of demons. The handle was wrapped tightly with rugged leather that somehow still looked brand new, despite how long this sword must have been here for the tree to grow so thoroughly around it.</p><p> </p><p>Hmmmm. I <em> could </em> try to pull this free... though with the tree growing around the entire blade, I don’t even know if it would be plausible… </p><p> </p><p>Eh, why not?</p><p> </p><p>I put the knife away and gripped the handle with both hands, bracing a foot against the tree for support - and pulled.</p><p> </p><p>The blade slipped free of the trunk with almost no resistance, nearly making me fall on my back. I stumbled, taking a few steps back before righting myself and taking a look at my new weapon. The blade was finely forged, the edge sporting no dents or scratches at all - it looked like it was brand new. A beautiful two-foot blade, composed of the purest, shining steel I had ever seen - truly a work of art.</p><p> </p><p>As I marveled at the sight of the sword, a leaf brushed past my shoulder. I looked up and watched with fascination as every single leaf in the tree turned from a healthy green to a brilliant orange, and then to a dirty brown. Leaves rained down around me, covering the ground around my feet in dead plant matter - leaving a withering husk of a dead tree. For some reason, the new sight saddened me - though I couldn’t pinpoint why. Perhaps it was because I’d indirectly killed the tree. Was it living off whatever magics were at work inside the blade?</p><p> </p><p>Who knows. I would never find out anyway.</p><p> </p><p>Giving my new sword another look, I resumed my walk once again.</p><p> </p><p>~-~</p><p> </p><p>It seemed I had a few hours of sunlight left by the time I reached the far shore. The area was a lot more grassy around here, with small hills dotting the region here and there. My sights set on a rather larger hill, thinking I’d get a look of the area before I turned back for the day. As I trudged up over the crest, however, a surprising sight made me take a step back.</p><p> </p><p>A farm. What a peaceful place to find in a realm of demons.</p><p> </p><p>My eyes slowly drifted from the fields starting at the bottom of the hill, to the gardens filled with fruits and vegetables further away, and finally to the quaint farmhouse located on the far end. </p><p> </p><p>Someone had to be living here. Otherwise all I’d be seeing here would be long-dead crops overrun with weeds. My fingers inched to the sword I’d newly acquired, then drifted back as I decided a neutral approach would probably be better. I did adjust my sheath for a quick draw of the knife however, just in case.</p><p> </p><p>I fought the urge to just pick a fruit off the vine as I passed the gardens on the way to the farmhouse. <em> You’re here to talk, Syrin, not steal some farmer’s hard work… </em> I jolted back in surprise as a figure in a pepper patch rose up. My knife was halfway out of its sheath before I realized he- <em> she, actually- </em> was greeting me.</p><p> </p><p>“Welcome stranger, it sure is pleasant to see a new face 'round here. My name’s Whitney, and it’s mighty fine I don’t have to pitchfork you like most guests!”</p><p> </p><p>Feeling foolish, I quietly re-sheathed the knife and put it away, while greeting her myself.</p><p> </p><p>“Hello Whitney, nice to meet you as well. I’m Syrin.” I took note of her fur and canine features as I offered a handshake, assuming she was some sort of dog-morph.</p><p> </p><p>She took it in her own hand - paw? - and shook it firmly. “Well then Syrin, what brings you ‘round these parts?” she asked.</p><p> </p><p>I let out a small laugh at that. “Probably sheer coincidence, I think. I was just taking a walk around the lake for a change, and to see if I couldn’t find a way to get to that island in the middle.”</p><p> </p><p>Whitney tilted her head at that. “The island? Hmmm… I can’t remember if there was anything of interest there. The tree is supposed to be some sort of important piece of this world if I remember correctly, but that’s about it. I’m not sure if I’m bringing up the correct memory either.” She shrugged. “Anyhow, is there something you want to ask me? Been a while since I’ve seen a new face I don’t have to chase away, and I could use a little conversation.”</p><p> </p><p>I thought for a moment, then decided to tell her everything about my current situation. She seemed like a person I could tell. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m actually not from this world.”</p><p> </p><p>She raised an eyebrow at that. “Oh?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m from a village named Ingnam. It’s our tradition to send a Champion to this realm every year, to fight the demons plaguing its lands. I came here through a portal just a day ago. For some reason an imp was able to find me right after I arrived, and fed me this.” I took out the vial - he had called it a ‘Lust Draft’? - and handed it to her. She took it with careful hands, looking at the small amount of pink fluid left inside. “I think he called it a Lust Draft.”</p><p> </p><p>Whitney scratched her head as she gave it back to me. "I'm not really sure I've seen this before, Syrin. But if this was made by the demons… all things considered, it's probably something designed to induce an incredible amount of lust. Are you feeling alright now? No lingering effects?" she asked.</p><p> </p><p>I shook my head. "I did feel really, uh… frisky when I woke up after going through the portal. But after I fought off the imp I felt fine." I suddenly realized that the liquid was very likely tainted with the demons' corruption as well. "Wait, am I going to be corrupted from drinking this?" I started to panic as the thought of the demons’ taint slowly making its way through my body and soul entered my head. “Is- is there a way to get this out of my system or-”</p><p> </p><p>The dog-morph laughed at my predicament, patting me on the shoulder. “Hold yer horses, Syrin - the least I know is corruption don’t work like that.” She pointed a finger at the vial I held in my hand. “See, if you’d drunk that willingly, despite knowing what it would do to you - <em> then </em> there’s a chance you could be slightly corrupted from that. But since the imp fed it to you against your will, you should be fine.”</p><p> </p><p>“So… drinking or eating things that you know you shouldn’t eat, even while knowing what they’ll do to you… that’s what corrupts you?” I asked.</p><p> </p><p>“In a nutshell, yes - that’s the basics. Things like murder, rape - all sorts of unpleasant things that you should never do - you corrupt yourself slowly with every action you take. Thing is, you only turn corrupt if you do things you <em> know </em> are bad. So, if you’re truly crazy and genuinely believe killing people is for the better of the world - well, congratulations, you can go on a murdering spree without increasing your corruption.” She paused and looked at her crops waving gently in the wind. </p><p> </p><p>“That’s also part of the reason why the demons aren’t corrupt beyond a certain level. After a while, not many things are left that they think are bad, so even if they go around raping innocent souls and killing people left and right - no more corruption. Not that it would matter to them at that point.”</p><p> </p><p>“So… is there no way to tell how corrupt I am, at any given point?”</p><p> </p><p>Whitney chuckled and shook her head. “What, you think this is some game where you can just check your stats? To see if it says you are at 100 corruption or something?” She let out another laugh before continuing. “No, if you want to get a measure of how corrupt you are you should find a mage who can cast detection spells of that sort. Even then, it’s a rough estimate - but it’s better than nothing.“ The farmer bent over and started picking up her tools from the ground, placing them in her wheelbarrow.</p><p> </p><p>“Another way is to give yourself a mental check, if you still have the capability to do so that is. If by any chance, things that previously seemed vulgar and disgusted you now make you feel aroused instead… well.” She finished off with an open end, but I fully understood what she meant. </p><p> </p><p>“I see. Well, thank you for telling me all this, Whitney. You’ve been a great help to me today.” I replied, taking a glance at her garden. Maybe I could…</p><p> </p><p>“Also, if it’s alright with you, could I come around here every now and then for food? I don’t exactly know where to get things that are safe to eat, if you get my hint.”</p><p> </p><p>Whitney smiled, putting the last tool away. “Of course, dear! I’d be happy to help. Feel free to stop by anytime - I really missed having someone to talk to. Speaking of which… are you sure you can get back to wherever it is you’re staying before it gets dark?” She pointed behind me, to where the sun was slowly starting to set.</p><p> </p><p>Shit. Had it already been that long? I was sure I had enough daylight left for the day…</p><p> </p><p>“You can stay the night here if you want - I’ve got a spare room.” came the dog-morph’s voice from behind me.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, I- I’d hate to impose, really…” I scratched my head, unsure of what to do.</p><p> </p><p>“Nonsense! Come, follow me.” Whitney turned and headed for the house.</p><p> </p><p>I took one last look at the approaching sunset and followed her inside.</p><p> </p><p>~-~</p><p> </p><p>“Here you go. The bed’s a bit old but it should be fine. Hope you have a good night’s sleep!” Whitney said, leading me into a room at the back of the house. It was very plainly decorated - one single bed, and a dresser on the other side. There was a window that also showed the rising night sky. Looks like it was a good idea to stay here after all. I sat down on the bed and gave the sheets a pat. </p><p> </p><p>Not bad. For an unused bed, it seemed to be in decent condition.</p><p> </p><p>“Everything to your liking?” the canine woman asked, bringing me out of my thoughts.</p><p> </p><p>“Sure. Again, thanks for letting me stay the night.” I answered, giving her a smile. “But I have to ask, though - whose room was this?”</p><p> </p><p>I instantly regretted asking that question.</p><p> </p><p>“...” </p><p> </p><p>Whitney’s face hardened into a cold stare. Her fur stood on its end as she glared at me with a look that could kill - but she quickly calmed down from whatever had just happened. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that.” she murmured quietly, turning away from me. I stared at her back for a second, confused by the situation.</p><p> </p><p>“I- I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”</p><p> </p><p>“No, Syrin, it’s my fault. I should have known you would ask me that.” Whitney sighed and walked out the doorway. </p><p> </p><p>“Good night, Syrin.” She shut the door behind her.</p><p> </p><p>I sat there bewildered for a few minutes before deciding to go to sleep.</p><p> </p><p>~-~</p><p> </p><p>The sound of something cooking woke me from my sleep. Groaning, I stretched, covering my eyes with a hand as sunlight poured in through the window.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Another day, another journey. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>I opened the door and headed to the kitchen where Whitney was cooking eggs on a skillet. Taking a seat at the table, I glanced at the pitcher of water and poured myself a drink. “Good morning.”</p><p> </p><p>“Good morning. Did you sleep well?” Whitney asked, flipping the eggs onto a plate.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Still somber from last night, I see. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Yes. The bed was perfectly fine. Thanks for letting me stay the night, Whitney.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re welcome. You can head out after we’re done with breakfast - I have to tend to the farm.” she replied, taking a seat as well. I looked at her, at the food, then back at her, and then slowly chuckled at the current situation I found myself in.</p><p> </p><p>“What’s so funny?” Whitney asked, taking a bite of her eggs.</p><p> </p><p>My laughter slowly ceased as I reached for a piece of bread. “Nothing, nothing.” I bit down with a crunch. </p><p> </p><p>Mmmmm. She makes some delicious bread. Maybe I should ask her for some of this  later. </p><p> </p><p>“It’s just that I just looked at myself and where I am now, and well…”</p><p> </p><p>“And…?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m currently in a house sitting at a table, eating breakfast that a woman made for me. And it’s only my third day here.” I said, taking another crunchy bite.</p><p> </p><p>Whitney’s face flushed red as she let a small squeak. “Syrin, I-”</p><p> </p><p>“Know what the best part is? I’m not even married.” I finished, taking a sip of water.</p><p> </p><p>That earned me a little growl. “Why, you…”</p><p> </p><p>My laughter quickly turned to panicked cries as Whitney exacted revenge for teasing her.</p><p> </p><p>~-~</p><p> </p><p>“So, I guess this is farewell, then.” I said, packing my things and getting ready to leave.</p><p> </p><p>Whitney nodded. “Indeed it is. Don’t word it like that, though - it’s not like you won’t be back again, Syrin!” she exclaimed, following me out the door.</p><p> </p><p>I laughed. “Just had to set the mood, y’know? Typical scene where the man leaves the woman at home while he leaves for a journey.”</p><p> </p><p>The dog woman’s cheeks flushed red again. “Syrin…” she growled.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright, alright. No more teasing.” I quickly surrendered, raising my hands.</p><p> </p><p>Whitney sighed. “Well, I hope to see you again soon. I have to tend to my crops now.” She turned and headed for a barn. I watched her for a few moments, then headed off for the lake. The sound of her voice from behind stopped me in my tracks, however.</p><p> </p><p>“Syrin?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes?” I answered, looking back over my shoulder at her.</p><p> </p><p>“You… you’re welcome to stay the night again if you ever need to. Just letting you know.” Whitney stammered, before scurrying off into the barn. Unfortunately, I’d already seen that tail wagging behind her.</p><p> </p><p>Huh. Not what I intended when I teased her with my jokes… but alright.</p><p> </p><p>I gave the farm one last look before setting off.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Interactions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>A while later, I was again strolling along the shores of the lake, having picked up from where I’d left off yesterday. I assumed I’d covered maybe half of the perimeter when I suddenly realized my footsteps sounded different from before. The ground felt different, too; a lot more feedback came from my feet than the squishy sand it had been treading. Almost like there was something beneath the sand…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I crouched down and brushed away some of the soil at my feet, revealing the rotting form of a wooden plank. Intrigued, I brushed aside some more of it - finding a few more planks, in just as poor condition as the first.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I’d found a pathway. Or rather, what was left of it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This was clearly the kind of path that villages used to provide themselves easier access to and from muddy rivers and lakes. Which meant this path would lead to a village… that was very likely abandoned or worse, considering the state of the planks. I looked at the general direction that the few exposed planks pointed to, and just about made out the outline of the decaying path leading somewhere.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now, important question time: do I follow this or not?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Don’t:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-Whatever village located at the end of this path must either be in</span>
  <span> dire straits, abandoned, or overwhelmed by demons. None of them was a good option, but the last one would prove suicidal for me.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-This isn’t what I came here for. I was walking around the perimeter of the lake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-This could also be a trap, though unlikely.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Do:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-By a very slim chance, maybe the village is fine and they simply no longer use this path. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah, right…</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>-I might meet someone who still lives there. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fat chance.</span>
  </em>
</p><p><span>-I do have to check this out sometime, might as well do it now. </span><em><span>Well actually you don’t, because- ‘OH SHUT UP, ME!’</span></em> <em><span>Fine. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.</span></em></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I let out a sigh and began following the path to the (possible) village at its end. The sand covering the rotting planks slowly gave way to soil and greenery, with plants and trees growing everywhere. Soon the plant life had become so thick it was getting frustratingly hard to spot the already-covered path winding through the trees growing on either side of it. I thought I’d lost the trail for a moment until I spotted an opening amongst the trees, leading out to somewhere.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Looks like I’ve found the exit. Or rather, entrance. I stepped through the opening to what was clearly the end of the path… and a grim sight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In front of me lay a pile of crumbling walls, broken and scattered by the rain… and if the scratch marks and charred regions were anything to go by, other forces entirely. I stepped through what could have been a gate at some point into the ruined village beyond. Dozens, maybe hundreds of destroyed houses greeted me - either torn apart, burned or collapsed. Not many of them were intact, and even those were in poor condition. I had half a heart to see if anyone might still be living here, but my head told me otherwise.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This village was clearly a victim of demon attacks. There would be no survivors. I sighed and decided to explore the ruins to see if I could find anything of use.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>An hour later, all I’d managed to find was even more sad sights. The houses that were more or less intact were even harder to look at than the destroyed ones, for they could tell me a story their burned counterparts could not. I could clearly tell where someone had tried to make a desperate holdout against the onslaught, and then was taken anyway when the demons tore off the roof instead. Another house had several corpses hanging from the ceiling; the family had committed suicide together in favor of being taken by the demons. Each and every sight was a pain to look at, but I forced myself to watch - for this was only the basics of what the demons were capable of.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This is what you are up against, Syrin. This is why you are here. Never forget this moment, never show them mercy when in battle. </span>
  </em>
  <span>I burned the memory into my mind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I sadly gazed at the devastated houses once more, then headed for the gates, thinking to leave this sorry place behind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wait.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Was that piece of wood there before?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I frowned at the broken wooden plank laying suspiciously on the ground. That definitely hadn’t been there when I passed through an hour ago. Which meant… </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I picked up a rock and threw it at the plank. Upon impact, the plank flew away as if launched with a spring. Simultaneously, the walls of the house it had been sitting next to collapsed, bringing the entire roof down on where the wood piece had previously resided.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A trap. A pretty well-set one as well, I’d have taken serious damage if I’d fallen for that. That told me a few things: first, there was someone still in this place, and they were out to get me. Second, I was probably in danger if they were hostile to everything. Considering the state of the village, they probably were. If the quiet footsteps now coming from behind me were of any hint, the trap’s owner was attempting to finish the job.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I flinched as, with a ‘thwip’, something shot past my face, embedding itself into the pile of rubble that lay before me. It trembled upon impact, and I took a moment to notice it was a dart - the kind launched from a blowpipe.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That was a warning shot - he would’ve hit me already if he wanted to. So he’s skilled at using the blowpipe, meaning he’s already started reloading. Do I have enough time for a counterattack?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You!” A voice called out, high pitched and a little squeaky, but commanding and firm. “Don’t make any sudden moves!” Looks like he- no, </span>
  <em>
    <span>she</span>
  </em>
  <span>- has already reloaded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Window of opportunity is gone. What to do, what to do…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Turn around, slowly.” came her voice again. She was talking... which meant the blowpipe was away from her mouth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like hell I will.” I retorted, dropping into a sideways roll. Her second shot came a lot quicker than I’d anticipated - but the speed came with a compromise, as the dart went wide and glanced off my left shoulder pad. I snatched up another rock as I finished the roll and spun to face my attacker, tossing it in her direction to distract her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I had to give her credit, though- she’d managed to reload while I was doing that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another dart came my way, and I surely would have been hit if I hadn’t thrown the rock. It missed my face by a fraction of an inch, and I responded in kind by knocking the blowpipe out of her hand first, then tackling her to the ground. She pulled out a knife as we landed, but I grabbed her wrist and slammed it against the dirt, causing her to cry out in pain and drop it. I picked up her dropped knife and tossed it aside, removing any threats for the time being.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now, time to take a good look at my assailant.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She seemed to be a mouse-morph : </span>
  <span>a bipedal female humanoid with the unmistakable features of a giant mouse; paw-like feet, a muzzled head with long whiskers, large mouse ears, and a body covered in dust-caked auburn fur. It didn’t look like she’d lived a very easy life; her clothing consisted of a dirty, tattered set of pants and shirt, while her limbs and midriff were wiry, hardened as much by meals that are less than frequent as by constant exercise and physical exertion. Her eyes burned with rage and determination… but no lust. She was no demon.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My eyes widened as I realized I was looking at a survivor of this village. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m terribly sorry about that, miss.” I said as I got off of her, offering a hand. She hesitantly took it, visibly confused. “I just- well, you shot a dart at me, and… I guess the heat of the moment got to me.” I went and retrieved her knife and blowpipe, handing them back to her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She took them gingerly, eyeing my hand with suspicion. “You’re… not going to rape me?” she asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I shook my head profusely, waving my hands. “No, no! I would never do that. I’m not a demon, I’m the Champion of Ingnam! I’m here to fight the demons, not rape people!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The mouse girl looked at me for a few long moments, then strapped her knife back on her thigh. “I’m sorry about that too, but I thought you were another demon. They destroyed this place years ago, but some of the damn scavengers still occasionally drift through. Not so much lately, of course. I’ve made something of an impression on them.” She grinned malevolently, one hand caressing the blade of her knife in an almost sensual fashion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My name is Amily, the last survivor of this village. All of my people are gone now; they’re scattered, dead, enslaved, or... worse. And you… said you’re the champion? Of Ingnam?” she asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I nodded, offering a hand. “My name is Syrin. Nice to meet you, Amily… though I wish we could have met on better terms.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She accepted the handshake with a firm grasp. “All is understood. I can’t really berate you for doing exactly what I was doing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why are you still here? This place is an empty wasteland of a settlement now.” I asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was born here, I grew up here, and I would have gotten married and settled down here if it hadn’t been for those demons.” She spat the word 'demons' with contempt. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“After it was all over, I had nowhere else to go. So I stayed here. I’ve still got nowhere else to go, to be honest. I haven’t found any other settlements of my own people, and I’d sooner die than give myself over to the demons. But it seems that if I’m ever going to see more of my people living free, I’m going to have to take the leading role...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She stared at me intently as she said that last sentence.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uhhhh, something wrong?” I said, hand slowly inching for my own knife.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You see, that role I was talking about? I’ve had a long time to think about it, and there’s no one else for it. If there are ever going to be more of my kind born into freedom, they’re going to have to be born. Literally; I need to find a mate that is pure, one that can give me strong and pure children of my own kind,” she explained, one hand absently touching her flat belly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The few males of my kind that I’ve managed to find are demon slaves - far too corrupt to make suitable mates, even if I could free them. I’ve heard, though, that humans are strangely weak breeders; your seed would be free of taint, and you would father more of my own kind. Unlike, say, an imp or a minotaur.” She tucked her blowpipe into her belt and took several uncertain steps towards me, trying to look sexy despite her grimy appearance and clear inexperience with the matter. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please, will you help me? You said something about being a champion - If you lay with me and help me bring more of my people into this world, free of the demons and untouched by their perverse taint, you will be striking another kind of blow against their corrupt stranglehold on Mareth.” she said, stopping a foot away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Okay… quick mental pros/cons chart.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pros:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-Free sex that isn’t rape.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-She did say this would be a blow against the demons in a different way…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cons:</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-This isn’t really her giving consent. She has no choice in the matter if she wants to resurrect her race.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-I’d be taking advantage of a girl who just wants nothing else than to bring her people back into the world.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-Isn’t this technically rape if she can’t say no to a suitable male(me)? It feels like a forced decision.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>….</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No. I’m not doing this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She doesn’t really want to have sex with me; she just needs me as a mate so she can birth offspring. And while I don’t enjoy being used as a cum dispenser either, this would be raping her in a way as well. She has no other choice. I’d be going back on everything I stand for as a Champion.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...No.” I finally said, shaking my head in refusal. “I won’t do that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amily stared at me in disbelief. “No? What do you mean, no? I’m honestly offering to have sex with you here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Look, it’s not that you’re ugly or something like that. I’m just not up for having sex with a total stranger I’ve never met before, especially when that stranger admits it would just be a casual, hollow act. And, I don’t enjoy the idea of being used as a cum dispenser, even if it’s for a noble cause like this. I came to this world to fight the hedonism and lechery that the demons represent, not to support it or, worse, join in.” I explained.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amily was wide-eyed as I finished. “I have... I haven’t heard anybody say things like that, think like that, in a long time.” She smiled, faintly, then fiercely shook her head. “I really do need your help... but I can only respect your conviction. I do hope that we can come to terms later, though.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Perhaps.” I said, giving her a smile as well. “May we meet again soon, Amily.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See you later, Syrin.” she replied, giving me a bow and leaving.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I turned to resume my path out of the village and back to the lake.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once back at the shore where I had first found the path, I resumed my walk around the lake. The calm splashing of the water helped settle my mind as I thought about the things that had been going on lately.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-An imp had tried to take me right after I’d joined this cursed realm.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-I’d found a previous Champion(who was now either dead or worse)’s lair and made it my own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-I’d found a lake full of sex-smelling water, and an island yet to be explored in the middle of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-I found a farm with a nice dog-woman owner and spent the night there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-I found a ruined village, fought its only survivor, and then turned down her request to impregnate her because I didn’t want to be used like that, even for a noble cause.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All in all, it had been a pretty hectic three days. Not that I’d expected a peaceful life when I came here, but this was a bit more action than I’d hoped for. Maybe tomorrow would have some less dramatic events, for I planned to simply explore this world some more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As if to laugh at my thoughts, that very instant I tripped over a rock stuck in the sand. I spat out a mouthful of sand and cursed my bad luck, shaking the sand from my hair. “Damn rock.” I muttered, picking it up and throwing it away into a clump of bushes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Thwack. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The sound of the rock hitting something hard made me stop in my tracks. If it had landed in dirt, it wouldn’t have made that sound. Hmmmm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Curiosity got the better of me and I decided to check it out. I brushed the bushes aside, stepping through to see what was on the other side.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And there, in all its old and run-down glory, was a small dock.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It seemed to be poorly made and quite old, crafted from old growth trees lashed together with some crude rope. Judging from the appearance of the rope, it had been a very long time since someone had used this dock. I carefully set a foot on the wood and shifted some weight onto it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It creaked, but otherwise held together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I slowly moved my entire weight onto the dock. It creaked some more, but it still maintained shape. Seems appearances weren’t all. I looked out to the dock’s end and noticed there was a boat tied down. I walked over to check it out, being careful not to take sudden steps as to make the dock suddenly decide it was time for it to collapse.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boat itself turned out to be a small rowboat, only about three feet wide and eight feet long. It seemed to be in much better condition than the dock- in fact, it looked like it was brand new. Who’d just leave this here?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No matter. It was mine now. Finally, I’d be able to check out that island in the middle of this lake. I got in the boat and began to row, only to notice that the sun would set soon. I still had plenty of light left, but even if I went all the way to the island and immediately came back, it’d be dark before I got home again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hmmmm. Looks like the island is going to have to wait another day.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Or, maybe I could spend the night at Whitney’s again… no, I’d still not have enough time. Plus, can’t really stay two nights in a row, that’d be imposing. I sighed and changed directions, setting the boat close to the dock and getting off.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be back for you tomorrow.” I told the boat as I tied it up. What with the boat being in much better condition than the dock and so many magical things going around, I half expected it to answer me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It didn’t. Bummer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I gave the boat a pat and headed for home.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I ended up being very thankful for my own decision to turn back. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I’d misjudged the amount of time I had left. By the time I entered the region with the rock formations containing my new home, it was almost completely dark. I’d resorted to using the moonlight- for some reason this world also had a moon, not that I was complaining about that- to navigate. Getting caught outside while it was dark was something I </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> didn’t want to happen. Nothing is scarier than getting attacked by something you can’t even see. Luckily, nothing went wrong except for me tripping over another damn rock. Those things must hate me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I cursed my luck once more and stepped into the gap that served as my front door. I let out a small sigh of relief as the sight of the room replaced the darkness in front of me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Home sweet home.” I stated, and let myself fall onto the bed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sleep took me very quickly that night.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Mission</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>I set out early the next morning, eager to finally visit the island and see what the tree’s business was. Whitney had said it was some sort of important part of this world, and I was hoping it would be of help to me on my journey. I casually sipped a bottle of Scholar’s Tea as I walked along the shore, humming a faint tune to keep my spirits high. Soon I'd be on my way to the island in my little rowboat, and finally see that tree for myself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"And so I wake in the morning and I step outside and I take a deep-" I stopped walking as I saw a shape rising from the waters of the lake. A head first broke the surface, followed by shoulders and arms. Soon, an entire humanoid figure had stepped out of the lake onto the shore. The head had no nose or mouth- just two solid black eyes, and those slowly swiveled to look at me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I stepped back and readied my sword in response. “And I was hoping for a less dramatic day today…” I muttered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The figure just stood there staring at me, and I took a moment to take in its appearance. Its entire body was semi-transparent, with the limbs slightly quivering in place… just like it was made of goo. Was it a slime monster of sorts?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As I pondered my next action, two more of the humanoids joined the first. Now I had three of them going against me… not a very good situation. Hmmm.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a gurgle, the first slime rushed forward. I ducked under its arm and slashed my sword sideways, cutting it in half. The other two joined in as the two halves fell to the ground, and I jumped back to prevent them from flanking me on both sides.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Come on, that's all you got?" I taunted, shaking the gooey residue from the blade.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As if on cue, both lunged at me simultaneously with arms outstretched. I dodged one and chopped off the left arm of the other, taking off its head on the backswing. Using the momentum from that I shuffled my feet and launched into a diagonal cleave, slicing the last slime in half. I stepped back and watched as their bodies lost form and collapsed into a liquidy puddle. It seemed like it was over… but my gut told me it had ended too easily. Slowly backing away, I kept my eyes trained on the 'corpses'.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I quietly let out a curse as I saw the three puddles begin to quiver and tremble. It wasn't over yet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The puddles began to flow unnaturally towards each other, combining into one large patch of slime. A head began to rise from the mass. A torso with several arms and tentacles followed. Soon, I was staring at an eight feet tall slimy tentacle monster. The two solid black eyes emerged once more and stared at me again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I readjusted my grip on my sword. “Bring it on.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The slime responded by sending several of its slimy appendages at me, apparently having learned to keep its distance. I hacked off a few and ducked under the swipes of the others. One managed to grab me by the ankle, and I nearly fell over before slicing off the end. Another latched onto my sword hand as I cut down one of its fellows, and I tugged at it before realizing I couldn’t break free.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Shit.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I had just enough time to realize I was screwed before being pulled off my feet, towards the monster. Its chest opened up like the petals of a blooming flower, and only then did I understand what it was about to do- trap me within its body and digest me slowly. Or something else. I didn’t really want to know. The important thing was my likely demise was now only a few seconds away. But it wasn’t over yet. I still had one trick left.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not so fast, you ugly pile of goo.” I snarled, unsheathing my knife with my other hand and angling it just in time for the end of the blade to sail straight through an eye.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The result was instantaneous, the brute letting out a wailing moan before letting go of my arm and dropping to a knee. I quickly got back on my feet and readied my sword, aiming for the other eye this time. Except, I noticed a small detail I hadn’t seen before.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A small black sphere, located where a heart would be in a normal human body. That wasn’t there before. Was this the monster’s core or something?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No time to ask questions. With a quick thrust, I drove the blade straight through the sphere with a </span>
  <em>
    <span>squelch</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The slime froze, its limbs and tentacles trembling as they locked themselves in place - and then promptly disintegrated, dissolving into a large puddle with a splash. I watched it intently, making sure it didn’t get back up a second time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It stayed still. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I let out a sigh of relief and sheathed my knife. “Alright… back to the boat.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The small pieces of goo left behind caught my eye, however. I cautiously poked one with the end of the blade; nothing happened. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I picked one up and took a good look at it. It seemed to have the same properties as the slimes I’d been fighting earlier - semi-transparent, very stretchy and absorbing damage like nothing. Poking the piece with my knife did nothing but leave a hole that was quickly filled in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hmmmm. Maybe I could use this for something?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I collected the lumps of goo and put them away for potential future use and resumed my path.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m back. Did you miss me?” I asked the boat as I untied it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As I expected, it gave no reply. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I let out a chuckle and got in, beginning to row towards the island. Finally, I’d be able to see what was waiting there. I hope it at least has a good view of the shores so I can keep the region’s layout in mind, otherwise I went through all this trouble for nothing. I took in the sight of the sunlight sparkling on the water’s surface as I rowed, admiring the beautiful view the lake provided. My mind began to drift off as my body switched to autopilot.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Grandpa! Grandpa look, I got a fish!” I exclaimed happily, tugging on my fishing pole as the fish at the end swam this way and that, trying to get free.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Looks like you did! Careful now Syrin, don’t try to pull it in right away. Let it tire itself out.” said Nomur, patting my back. I did as he instructed, letting it go when it swam away and reeling in the line when it came closer. About ten minutes later, it finally stopped resisting and I began to pull it in. Nomur held the net as I carefully lowered the fish into it, and soon I was admiring my first catch of the day.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Grandpa look, I got a big one!" I shouted, jumping up and down with the fish in my arms. The old man chuckled and ruffled my hair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That you did, my boy. Nicely done. It should make a fine dinner when we get home, hmm?" he said, putting the fish into the storage crate.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I froze in place at the word 'home'.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was no one at the house waiting for us. It was just me and Nomur; my parents still hadn't come back yet. I wished they were here to see me catch my first fish. They would have been proud.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Something wrong, Syrin?" Nomur's voice brought me out of my thoughts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh! Uh, nothing… I just… I wanted my parents to see me catching my fish. I miss them so much. When are they coming back? It's been three years now." I said sadly, hanging my head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nomur sighed and crouched down on a knee, holding my head up so I was looking at him. "Listen, Syrin." he told me. "I am sorry to tell you that I do not know when your parents will be coming back. Perhaps some unforeseen change of events have occured in their journey, causing them to take more time." He paused for a second before continuing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"But know this. They will always be watching you wherever they are, and they love you very much. I'm sure they would have been very proud of you when you caught your fish. Remember that, Syrin. Your parents love you and care for you. Don't be so sad." Nomur finished, patting my head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I looked at him for a moment before throwing my arms around him in a hug. I could barely make my hands meet on his back, but that didn't matter to me. "I love you, grandad." I said, hugging him tightly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The elder froze for a moment before returning the gesture, his thin arms wrapping around me in a warm embrace. His hand patted my back as he held me like that for a while.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I love you too, Syrin."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I broke off from my memories as the boat suddenly came to a dead stop. I looked to see that the boat had ground itself in the moist earth of the island; I'd reached my destination. I climbed out, stretching my limbs as I took in the landscape.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a tiny island, really- not much more than a raised mound of earth and grass, maybe a thousand square feet in area. The tree I'd seen from the shore was perched on the apex, and I wondered if there was another sword stuck in this one. I approached the tree, noticing that its bark was unusually smooth. Every leaf of the tree was particularly vibrant, bright green with life and color. I reached out to touch the bark and circled around it, noting a complete lack of knots or discoloration. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As I finished the circle, the silhouette of a woman began to grow from the bark. I let out a sharp cry of surprise, backing away and drawing my sword. The transformation slowly stopped, exposing the front half of a woman from the waist up. I flinched when she opened her eyes- revealing totally white irises, the only part of her not covered in bark.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You seem so surprised by me, Champion. I suppose that is inevitable. Your origin is not of Mareth, our land, and few save for the demons remember me,” said the tree.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I took another step back, amazed to find such a creature, apparently uncorrupted. For one thing, she was a talking tree. For another, she knew who I was. I lowered my sword. Time to ask some questions.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"My name is Syrin, Champion of Ingnam. May I ask who you are?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Me?” she asked. “I am the life-goddess Marae. I am Mareth, for my roots touch every part of it. Or I was. Before THEY came.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The demons?” I asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nodded. “The demons were once a tribe of magic-blessed humans, living in the mountains. They had everything they could ever want: peace, love, and the power to change reality. But they grew dissatisfied, as men often do, and craved more. They began using their magics to alter their bodies, seeking greater pleasure than ever before. In time they became obsessed with it. I let them be, believing their folly to be limited to their own village.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marae paused there, looking out over the lake before continuing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was wrong. While I focused on preventing famines and ensuring peace between the other villages, the humans twisted themselves into something else, something demonic. They gave up their souls, crystallizing it into a magical energy source. Of course they could not be satisfied with consuming the power of their own souls. They wanted more. They always want more.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So that's how it all began. Endless greed and craving for more and more pleasure." I remarked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The tree goddess nodded in response. “They came pouring out of the mountains in a wave, picking off villages left and right. I lent many villages my power, but none had the strength to stand alone, and none would band together, resentful of their racial differences as they were. All were consumed, enslaved, or filled with corruption. My people were cut off from me, either by their new tainted outlook or by the demons' own machinations. I was able to hide a few places from the enemy’s sight, but I do not know how long it will last.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sighed heavily, and I noticed the bark of her nipples stiffening. Her brow creased with something approximating worry as she continued. “They know of me. My power originally kept them far from the shores of the lake, but they seek to corrupt me – to make me like them. They’ve used magic and industry to trap the pure rains in the clouds around their mountain, starving me, and in its place they spill their tainted sexual fluids. For... years now, my furthest reaches have been bathed in their vile cum. While my power is great, I... I cannot resist forever. My reach has dwindled to little more than this lake. Parts of me have already fallen, taking the surrounding life with them. I do not know how much longer I can endure... even now, the desire to mate with you rises within me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I backed away at that, getting ready to run should she try to come after me. She noticed, letting out one last shout. "Please, wait!" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I stopped and looked at her as she continued.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Please champion, you must help me." she practically begged. "The demons have a factory at the foot of the mountains. It produces much of the fluid they use to taint me. If you could find a way to shut it down, I... all of Mareth, might stand a chance.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Like I said, I was hoping for a less dramatic day today.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Could you provide me with some more details about it? Like a more specific location, or how large it is and how many I’ll have to face, things like that…” I said, putting away my sword. Marae blinked at that, her eyes focusing on the weapon. Or at least I thought they did; she had no pupils so I couldn’t tell.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where did you get that sword, Champion?” she asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This? I found it embedded in the trunk of a tree on the lake’s shore. The tree died when I pulled it out for some reason.” I replied, taking it out again and handing it to her. She took it gently, almost as if she were handling a baby.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you were the one who took it…” she murmured, tracing a finger along the blade. The metal began to glow brightly in response, and I watched in awe.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you have some sort of history with it?” I asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was the one who created this sword, Champion. Or, rather, helped turn it into what it is now.” said Marae, giving the glowing sword back to me. It filled my body with a soft warmth as I wrapped my hand around the handle, and I felt myself being soothed by it. “A long time ago, when the demons first began to spread like wildfire, a young man not unlike yourself came to visit me. He asked for my help and blessing in his fight against the growing taint of the realm, and I gave it to him. I infused his sword with a part of myself, turning it into a powerful weapon against corrupt beings. He thanked me and went on his way, and I never saw him again. What became of him, I can only guess. If he is dead, then I only hope he died a quick death. If not, well...” she trailed off at the last part, and I could feel her sadness in her words.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It was only a few years ago when I felt this weapon’s presence once more, and I believe it was only because it had come very close to me; my strength had already been dwindling from the demons’ actions. I could not bring it back to my island, however I could keep it in place with my roots. That was the tree you saw, and that was why it died when you pulled it out; it no longer had my essence giving it life.” The glow began to die down, and I put the sword away again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As for your questions, I am sorry to tell you that I do not know further of its location other than that it is located somewhere at the foot of the mountains. You will have to find it yourself. For the same reason, I also do not know how large it is. However, I do have something that may help you take it down.” said the tree goddess, producing a pure white pearl from somewhere. “This is the last of my powers I can bestow upon another being. It will give you a boost in strength and cleanse you of any taint that resides within your body or mind. Use it wisely, for it will only work once.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you. I will make sure to make good use of this, goddess.” I said, taking the pearl from her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nodded. “Then go now, Champion. There is nothing to be gained by your presence here. Return if you manage to close that vile place.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I bowed and returned to the boat with my new objective in mind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once back on the shore, I began to think of how to locate the factory I had been tasked to destroy. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>could</span>
  </em>
  <span> go and search the base of the mountains to find it manually, but that seemed like it would take forever. I’d have to return to my base every night, and considering the distance I’d be spending most of the daylight on travelling.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No, this wouldn’t do. I had to find someone who knew of its exact location.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How to do that though, I wonder…” I mumbled to myself. Easy to say and hard to do, as most things were in theory. Hmmm.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maybe I should interrogate some demons? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That could work, but it was still a slim chance any of them would even know what I was talking about. And even if they did know where the factory was, why would they take me there peacefully? The most likely outcome of that was they would alert its workers to my presence once they were in earshot, or lead me into a trap. Neither was a good option. I sat down on a rock as I tried to think of a strategy to locate the demon factory.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Option 1 : Search the mountains manually.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>-Would work eventually, but I don’t have infinite time and most of it would be wasted going back and forth.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Option 2 : Capture a few demons and interrogate them for information.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>-Would likely result in me being led into a trap or being found out once there. Still, I could ask them for different info, like that Zetaz fellow the imp mentioned.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Option 3 : Go ask around to see if anybody knows where the place is.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>-Ha, like that would even work. I don’t even know anybody here who would be able to tell me that… Wait. </span>
  </em>
  <span>My train of thought halted as my mind turned to a certain mouse-girl.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amily was a survivor who had likely been in battle against the demons many times. Perhaps she would know something I didn’t?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Looks like it’s time for another visit to the fallen village.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Rabbit Hole</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The rotting planks creaked as I walked on them, making my way to the destroyed gates of the ruined town. I stepped through the rubble of the front gate and headed inside, looking this way and that for my target. My eyes spotted another trap hidden carefully amongst the debris, and I cautiously stepped around it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Amily! You here?” I called out, trying not to be too loud lest I attract unwanted attention. “Amily?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A muffled rustle from behind and above me caught my ears, and I spun around with my sword drawn. A figure leapt off the roof of a semi-intact house at me, and we both went tumbling to the ground as a knife clashed against my own blade. I grunted and threw a punch at my attacker with my left hand, knocking him(her?) off of me. He rolled to the side and brought his knife up as did I, readying for the next round… until we both saw each other’s faces.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...Syrin?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...Nice to see you too, Amily.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Looks like we have a tendency to fight every time we meet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry about that… I didn’t recognize your voice, and when someone came in here calling my name, well…” Amily said sheepishly, doing her best to dust the dirt off of my armor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I gently pushed her hand away. “It’s okay, Amily. I should’ve said it was me first.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her face brightened at that, tail waving gently from side to side. “Anyways, what brings you here? Did you come to help me out with what I told you before?” she asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I shook my head at that. “No, actually I came here to ask you something.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The mouse girl raised an eyebrow at that. “Oh? About what?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wanted to ask you if you-” I began, before starting to have second thoughts. Wouldn’t it be rude if I just asked her what I needed and then just went away? “Actually, let’s save that for later. How about we just talk first? “ I told her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just to talk?” Amily asked. “Well... it has been a long time since I actually had somebody to talk to...” She looked distracted for a moment, but then she smiled; she seemed pleased with the prospect. “So, is there anything in particular you want to talk about?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I thought for a moment, wondering what to ask her. Then I shrugged, not having anything to talk about in particular. “How about we talk about you? I’d like to know a little more about you; to get to know you better.” I said. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amily looked surprised... but pleased. “I... You’re really interested in hearing about me? Well... okay. What do you want to know?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well… for starters, how did you survive the destruction of the village?” I asked, hoping I wouldn’t irritate her with a sensitive question. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I haven’t explained that already?” she asked. “I ran. I ran as fast as I could for my house - I ran for my hunting knife and my blowpipes. And then, my parents ordered me to run into the wilderness and hide. I didn’t want to go, but I obeyed. I just ran and ran all through the night, stopping only when I was exhausted - and even then, I crawled into a hollow at the roots of a tree to hide. I slept until hunger woke me, foraged for something to eat, and then I crept back to my village. I found it ruined, and I’ve lived here ever since.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As for day to day survival...” She shrugged. “I do what my mother taught me. I hunt. I forage. I managed to find and store a lot of left-behind food after I was sure the village was no longer being occupied, but that was eaten or went off years ago. I managed to scavenge a few bits of alchemical equipment from my parents' home, and from the other village alchemists - not enough to do anything complicated, but enough to build a water purifier in a hidden cove, so I could distill the lake water and make it drinkable. I also have water traps set up to catch rainwater and morning condensation. I may not be a real alchemist, but I do know what plants, animals and fungi are poisonous and I can whittle new darts for my blowpipe to use them with. I have traps and snares set up and I check them regularly.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Speaking from experience, I do have to say that maybe the house traps are overkill.” I remarked, awed by how a single girl was able to do so much on her own. She’d become alone at a much older age than I had, but at least I’d had Nomur to act as my grandfather. She had no one. In a way, she was stronger than me in that department.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amily shrugged sheepishly. “Well, I intended that for rare cases like minotaurs stumbling into the town. I can’t take down those brutes on my own, and I never thought someone like you would appear. You did avoid that one gracefully though.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Minotaurs?” I asked, intrigued by how much she had seen and fought during her time here.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Minotaurs are dangerous brutes - they’re one of the biggest, strongest and toughest beasts around. I don’t dare go near the mountains, not with those beasts roaming around. Sometimes they carry around huge axes, but usually they make do with just their huge, knuckled fists.” she explained, idly cleaning her knife.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>There goes the chance of her knowing where the factory is.</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Why are they so dangerous? They don’t seem like demons.” I said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They may as well be demons, now. Oh, they may not look corrupted, but all they care about is finding something to rut with - man, woman, both, neither, they don’t care. So long as it’s got a hole, they’ll fuck it... I think maybe I heard somewhere that they can only reproduce by raping other creatures with a vagina now, but I don’t remember where.” she replied, looking perturbed for some reason.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have you ever dealt with one?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not really; me, I run if ever I see them.” she laughed. “I’m not a stand-up fighter to begin with, but against those brutes? And it’s not just their strength, either... I think they’ve got some kind of addictive chemical in their cum. The stink of their presence alone can make you feel turned on. There was this one that managed to corner me; it pulled out its huge horse-cock and started masturbating.” She shuddered in visible disgust. “I narrowly missed getting sprayed, but the smell... it was intoxicating. My legs nearly buckled from arousal - it was so tempting to just give in and let him fuck me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So…?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I fought it off and ran away.” she insisted. “I am still a virgin after all.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She stowed her knife and began cleaning her blowpipe. “The big brute was stupid enough to follow me; once I got to the trees, where he couldn’t get around so easily, I put a poisoned dart in each of his eyes. When he stopped thrashing around, I walked up and slit his throat.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s… impressive.” I commented, slightly disturbed by her ruthlessness. I could understand her actions however, she didn’t exactly grow up in an environment that taught her to be merciful.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anyways, that was me. How about we talk about you this time? How’d you get to become the Champion?” she asked me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Me? Well, I uh… I lost both parents when I was 5.” I began. Might as well get the sad parts done and over with.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh… I’m sorry?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay. I’ve gotten over it now. Actually, no, I’m not over it, but I’ve accepted the fact that they’re gone. You don’t have to feel sorry for me.” I said, waving a hand. “One of the village elders - Elder Nomur - took me in as a foster child. He raised me like his own grandson from then on. I learned how my parents died when I was 10 - when Nomur finally told me that my parents were dead and were not coming back from a long journey, like he had been telling me. I don’t think I ever stopped crying that day.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tha- that’s horrible. It must have been such a pain to realize your parents were gone at that age.” Amily gasped.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like I said, I’ve come to terms with the fact. Now, the reason they both died was because our house caught on fire, and my father went back in to save my mother. Both of them never made it out of course, but what caused the fire?” I asked, taking out my knife and gazing at it sadly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I miss you, Dad.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“After everything had been cleaned up and the incident documented for history to determine later, the elders made their own investigation. Their conclusion was that the demons wanted my parents dead for some reason, and thus used their magics to burn down our house, killing everyone inside. Obviously they failed on that part, but it looks like they did get what they wanted.” I said bitterly, sheathing the knife.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“After that I dedicated myself to hone my body for combat, vowing to avenge my dead parents. I waited ten years for my chance at revenge, and I got it when I became the Champion this year. It seems all that hard work finally did pay off though, because these are coming in really handy.” I chuckled, flexing an arm. Amily stared at it for a brief moment before she realized I noticed and averted her eyes, blushing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So… that’s about it for my story. Of course, I took out pretty much everything and only told you the barebones of what happened in my life, but I don't think you’d want to hear them. They’re full of days where I nearly passed out from exhaustion.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe I’d still like to hear them?” she suggested, a smile adorning her face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I smiled as well. “Perhaps, but for another time. Now, as for the thing I was going to ask you earlier…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amily nodded. “What was it about?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been tasked with destroying this factory at the base of the mountains by the goddess Marae. She said it’s been producing vile liquids that the demons pour into the rivers, trying to corrupt her like them. Would you happen to know where it is?” I asked her, doubting I’d get anything of use.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The mouse girl went quiet at my question. “So you come back to haunt me once more…” she murmured.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Amily?” I asked, confused at her remark.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Syrin, while I am glad to tell you I do indeed know of that place’s location, I still wish you hadn’t brought it up. That place traumatized me when I first found it a few years ago, and I never want to see it again.” she said firmly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I raised my hands in defense. “Whoa, calm down there. I’m just asking you so I can go there and shut it down.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know, Syrin. It’s just - that place gave me nightmares for a while, and I honestly wish they had been the scary kind.” she sighed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The scary kind…?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The dreams I had… they were incredibly sexual, Syrin. That’s all I will say.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh.” I said, unsure what to make of that. “So… could you tell me how to get there, then?” I asked her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The mouse girl wrung her hands for a while, then sighed. “Yes. While I loathe the idea of even getting close to that wretched place, I’ll do it if that’s what it takes to destroy it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I tilted my head in confusion. “Wait… you’re going to come with me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course, Syrin. It’s not like I have a map made of the place, and verbal instructions mean very little in this world. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>have</span>
  </em>
  <span> to take you there myself. Otherwise you’ll never find it.” she stated, her ears twitching. “So yes. I’m coming with you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wow… thanks. Thank you very much Amily, that means a lot to me.” I said, impressed by her determination. I wondered if I could do anything for her in return - and then thought that maybe she’d like some of my food. I did have a semi-steady supply coming from Whitney, after all…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Would you like to have some food? I do have to express my gratitude somehow.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amily’s jaw dropped slightly before she regained her composure. “What? I mean... Why? You need to eat as well, and it’s not like I’m starving.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have a lot more stashed than you’d think, and it doesn’t go bad. Plus, I have another reliable source. Also, you might say you’re not starving, but I’d wager you’re still rationing your supplies.” I replied, gesturing to her thin frame. “You barely have any body fat on you. Let’s face it - you’re very slowly starving. You need some more food, Amily.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well… well I… thanks, I guess?” she managed to say.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I smiled. “Then come, follow me. I’ll help you bring the food back here, and then you can help me out with the factory issue.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amily smiled as well. “Thank you, Syrin.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re welcome.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, that should be enough I think. Do you need more?” I asked, packing one last peach into Amily’s bag.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She shook her head. “No, it’s more than enough. I still can’t thank you enough for this…” she began, but I waved a hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like I said, it’s fine. Now come on, let’s hurry up and get this to your place before it gets dark.” I said, hefting the bag over a shoulder and making my way to the entrance, and the mouse girl followed close behind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hmmm. I might have to spend the night at Whitney’s again if I don’t have enough time to make it back- ohhhh, shit.</span>
  </em>
  <span> I vocalized that last part as I stopped dead in my tracks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong, Syrin? Why’d you- oh…” Amily said, looking at the sun setting over the horizon. It was already visibly dark, and there was no way we’d make it to the village with what sunlight we had left. “Well, this sucks.” she remarked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yep. Sucks big-time.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sat down on the floor. “Well, what do we do now?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do we do? Why, you take the bed, of course. I’ll just sleep here.” I said, gesturing to the bed. Amily gaped in response.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What, you want ME to take the bed? This is your place!” she exclaimed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Correct. And that is precisely why you’re taking the bed: you’re my guest, and I shouldn’t have my guest sleeping on the floor while I sleep in a comfortable bed, should I?” I retorted, gently nudging her towards the bed. “Now go on, take your place.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She planted herself in place and shook her head. “No! I’m not- hey!” she yelled as I responded by picking her up and placing her on the mattress. “Listen, Amily. You’re taking the bed either way, so unless you want to share a bed with a man you’ve known only for a few days, you’re sleeping here and I’m sleeping on the floor. Any questions? No? Great! Good night.” I said, draping the covers over her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...” The mouse-girl glared at me a few seconds, then huffed and turned over to face the wall. I shrugged and made my way over to my belongings, thinking to do some organizing before getting my own shut-eye.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Syrin?” Came her voice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I turned around to face her again. “Yes?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for everything. And… good night to you too.” she said, before facing the wall again. She still failed to hide the redness in her cheeks, though. I chuckled before returning to my duties.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re welcome, Amily. Good night.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re sure you can get back on your own?” I asked the mouse-girl as she strapped on her pack, grunting with the weight. She definitely seemed like she could use a hand with that. Not that I was going to tell her that, of course.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine, Syrin. Besides, I can’t really show you exactly where I live, not yet, haha.” she laughed, and I grinned in reply.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine then. I guess I’ll see you later when we’re ready to go to the factory?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her face briefly hardened at my mentioning of the place, but it quickly dissipated. “Sure. Just come visit me and let me know when it’s time. Until then, farewell.” She waved me goodbye and began to walk off.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I waved as well, then went my own separate way.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I found myself walking along the shore of the lake once more as I gathered my thoughts on how to take down the factory, and what I would need. Sure, I could simply just go in there with the brute force approach, but if there were too many of them in there that turned into a suicide plan. Guards were also an issue; if this place’s sole purpose was to corrupt the goddess of this world, there was no way it wouldn’t be guarded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That meant if I was going with the brute force method I had to quickly take them down at once, and make sure none of them alerted the personnel inside. Either way, I’d have to start with a stealth tactic - letting them know I was coming wasn’t a good idea in any circumstances. I might have to ask Amily how to stay silent as I moved. Hmmm. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I would have continued my train of thought if I hadn’t noticed the shadow of a familiar silhouette, informing me that there were imps - two, no three - trying to sneak up on me from behind. They really should have thought it out better though, even without the shadow I could hear their wings flapping soon. I kept walking, pretending not to have noticed while preparing my knife, keeping an eye on the shadows.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>One. Two. Thr-</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I stopped faking unawareness of their presence as I noticed small dots dropping from the imps’ shadows. Explosives? Potions? Didn’t matter. I wasn’t sticking around to find out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>* crash *</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As I dove away and rolled onto my feet, three glass spheres smashed open on the spot I had just been standing. Columns of white, unnatural flames instantly swept over the area, scorching the ground and sending me reeling with the intense heat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yep, definitely a good choice. I would’ve died instantly if that hit its target.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I drew my sword, switching into combat mode as the three imps shrieked a battle cry, coming straight at me. One pulled out another of the glass spheres and threw it at me as his two other comrades got close. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Shit.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No form of teamwork whatsoever, huh? Fitting.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I reached out with my left hand, aiming to grab the sphere before it landed. I had no other choice - it was too late to dive for cover now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Please land, please land-’</span>
  </em>
  <span> I let out an internal sigh of relief as the deadly fireball settled into my palm with a </span>
  <em>
    <span>smack</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Before the two grounded imps could react, I chucked my new weapon at their feet. Screams of agony filled the air as both were promptly burned to a crisp, and I watched the scene for a few seconds before turning my attention to the last remaining imp. It watched me with red slitted eyes, snarling.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on, let’s finish this.” I beckoned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Its eyes narrowed. “You will pay for their deaths, Champion.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you do speak, nice to know. Bring it on.” I taunted, waving a hand at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He growled, then leapt at me, claws glinting in the sunlight.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now, I do have to give credit to this imp. Normally they’re pretty weak and unfit for combat individually; their strength is in numbers. This guy however, seemed to be a lot tougher than the norm - maybe he was a higher ranked imp or something?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Either way, unfortunately for him, being a lot tougher than what was essentially the most basic unit of the demons’ ranks didn’t necessarily mean he was strong as an individual. He did manage to get a swipe on my arm, giving me slightly serious cuts - but nothing fatal. Scratch that, they hurt like a bitch.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Which was probably why I twisted the blade a </span>
  <em>
    <span>little</span>
  </em>
  <span> bit more than intended as I fed my sword to his stomach.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I stood over my defeated foe, blood dripping from my left forearm. I gripped the handle of my sword with my right hand, ready to pull it out and kill him. Not yet, however. I still had to ask him some questions.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, you know the drill. I’m going to ask you questions, and you answer them. Understood?” I told him, rotating the blade just a tiny bit. It was still enough to cause massive pain, and the imp proved it with an agonized scream.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <b>FUCK YOU!</b>
  <span>” He screamed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wrong answer.” I replied, twisting the blade a tiny bit more.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The screams intensified.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I waited for him to catch his breath, then began interrogating. “Alright, first question. Who sent you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He spat out blood from his mouth, then weakly laughed. “Fine, I’m dying anyway. Might as well let you know whose dick you’re going to be serving eventually. I serve Master Zetaz. You already know him, don’t you, Champion?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Zetaz. So the guy was still coming after me. What a surprise.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Second question. How did he know where to find me when I came through the portal?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The imp laughed at that. “You couldn’t even think of that, you little idiot? You Ingnam sluts are all the same. The portal doesn’t move on this side, all we have to do is send someone there every year. Isn’t that painfully obvious?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I grit my teeth. So the previous Champions were all likely ambushed as soon as they came through, just like I had. I briefly wondered how Excellia had avoided capture before moving on. “Last question, demon. Why is Zetaz after me? What does he want me for?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because you got away, dumbass! He’s in charge of delivering you and all other Ingnam bitches that come through the portal to the factory! He’s failed a delivery because of you, do you think he’d just let it slide? Of course not, that’s why he’s after you!” he spat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My words caught in my throat as I heard his answer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Deliver me to the factory? What…?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean, deliver me to the factory?” I demanded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Exactly what I said, Champion. You want to know more, find it out yourself. Now just kill me already, this fucking hurts!” he yelled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I crouched down, making direct eye contact as I slowly twisted the blade. Blood poured out of his wound as he groaned in pain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Listen here, you demonic piece of shit. I want you to send your master my warmest regards when you see him again, because I’ll be sending him to Hell right after you.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>I whispered, pulling the sword out slowly to cause maximum pain before his death.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The imp didn’t even groan anymore; instead, he weakly chuckled, even as his breathing turned into pained gasps for air.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hell? Look around you, Champion. This is </span>
  <em>
    <span>Mareth</span>
  </em>
  <span>. You’re already in Hell.” he choked out, blood dribbling down his chin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ehehehehe, hahahah-” his laughter came to an abrupt halt as I swiftly removed the blade, sending arcs of blood streaming into the air. He promptly began to convulse, then died on the spot.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“....”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I stared at the cooling corpse of the dead imp, then at the crips husks of the two he’d come with. What had he said? </span>
  <em>
    <span>“He’s in charge of delivering you and all other Ingnam bitches that come through the portal to the factory.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>So that meant I was some sort of ‘package’. The portal was the delivery service, and Zetaz was the servant who picked it up for whoever he served in the factory. Most importantly though, this meant that there had to be some sort of deal going between someone on Ingnam’s side of the portal. The demons wouldn’t have known where to find me otherwise. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To sum it up, someone was deliberately selling out the Champions to the demons.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now, who could that be, I wonder?” I said to myself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maybe I was a bit too calm for the current situation. Perhaps I should have been seething with rage at the idea that one of our own would sell us out to the demons. It would be a logical reaction to that thought.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Should? Maybe. Could? Definitely. Would? Not for now. Because right now, I had to keep a cool head and focus on the most important problem here: the factory. Now I had another reason to take that place down: the imp had said Zetaz was supposed to deliver me there. Whoever was running the place would know more about what was going on.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I took a step forward, then stopped as I felt liquid drop on my foot. I looked down and realized I was still bleeding from my arm where the imp had slashed it. Now that I looked at it, it seemed a lot more serious than I initially thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This day just keeps getting better.” I muttered, heading for Whitney’s farm.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Birth of Darkness</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Hey, Syrin. Nice to see you again! What brings you… oh…” Whitney murmured as she looked at my arm.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good day to you too, Whitney. Care to help me out with this?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The dog woman stared at the wound for a moment, then turned. “Sure, come on in. I’ll get that stitched up in no time.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks. I appreciate it.” I followed her inside and sat down at the table.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re welcome, Syrin.” She brought out what was apparently a first-aid kit and opened it up, taking out a needle and thread. She held the needle over a flame for a bit to sterilize it, then washed her hands. “You ready for this?” she asked, placing the tip against my skin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I might as well be.” I replied, bracing myself for the pain.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Here we go.” she said, starting the procedure.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I grit my teeth and clenched my eyes shut as Whitney closed up the wound. Small bursts of pain shot up from my arm into my head, sending warning signs blaring all around in my mind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Danger. Danger. Left arm damaged, activate defenses.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Shut up, I’m fixing it.</span>
  </em>
  <span> I told it, mentally blocking out the alarms.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just a few more to go.” the dog-woman murmured, moving on to the next set of stitches. “Hang in there, Syrin.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I opened my eyes and panted for breath as I just barely managed to keep the pain under control. “Never been better. Just… just get it done quickly.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After a few more agonizing minutes, she finally said, “Alright, last one…” I let out a sigh as she finished and tied off the last knot. She then applied some sort of salve to the suture and wrapped a bandage around it. “That should heal within the day. Just make sure not to put too much strain on the wound.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A day?” I said in disbelief. I was expecting at least a week. “That’s all it takes?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure. That salve I just gave you? It has some incredible healing abilities. Your arm will be just fine, believe me.” she said with a smile. “In fact, here, I can give you some as well. I think you’ll need it a lot more than me, considering you’re going to be fighting constantly.” She handed me a container of the strange gel. I took it with uncertainty.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, but… why would you be giving me this? You don’t owe me anything.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh come on Syrin, I got to help out where I can, don’t I? Can’t have you dying from your wounds after winning the battle, that’d be a real big shame. Plus, I hate those demons just as much as you do. It’s not like I don’t have a regular supply of those anyway, I can get more from Tel’Adre when I go to sell my produce.” she replied, putting the first-aid kit away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tel’Adre?” I asked, confused.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh! Right, you don’t know that place. It’s a city hidden in the desert, one of the few remaining safe havens from the demons. You can only find it if your soul isn’t corrupt, so it’s a good sign if you stumble upon it in the desert. If by any chance you need refuge, have a go for that place. They’ll take you in, though not exactly for free of course.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh.” I muttered, intrigued by the prospect of an entire hidden city. The magic required to pull that kind of thing off must be incredibly intricate and complicated. I couldn’t even begin to wrap my head around the scale of the spells that would be at work there. Maybe I should try finding this city myself, too.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Still, I really can’t thank you enough for this. Really, Whitney, you’ve been so generous and kind to me.” I told her, getting up from my chair. “Is there anything I can do for you in return? Like, help you with the farm work or…” I trailed off as Whitney shook her head in refusal.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s fine. I don’t need anything, really. Though, I have to ask you something…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What would that be?” I asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That all-too-familiar blush returned to the dog-woman’s cheeks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Would… would you care to stay for lunch? I only just remembered what it was like to have a meal with another person after you stayed overnight last time, and I… I don’t want to eat alone again now.” she admitted, her tail slumping down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I smiled. “Of course, Whitney. It’d be my pleasure.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She let out a bark of joy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>We made small talk over a simple meal that Whitney prepared herself. I tried to help, but she made a fuss of keeping me in my seat while she cooked. Over the span of the conversation, I found myself growing to like her more and more. She had a kind heart, albeit hardened by whatever depravities she had seen from her share of the demons. She also had a nice personality - unlike Amily, who had apparently lived a very rough life until now, she seemed to have had a more peaceful childhood.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That did bring me to a final question, however. What happened to her parents?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Considering her response to my asking who the previous owner of the room I slept in was, it was quite obvious - but it couldn’t have been from death of old age. Whitney wasn’t - or at least didn’t look that old. </span>
  <span></span><br/>
<span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Disease? Both of them? Unlikely.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Demon attack? How did she survive, then? She had no survival skills like Amily.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Deep sigh. Guess I’ll have to ask her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whitney?” I asked, setting down my fork. Now or never.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I believe I must ask you this again. Who was the owner of the room I slept in that night?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“....”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Surprisingly, this time she managed to keep a straight face. I held my breath as she looked at me with a blank expression on her face, unable to tell what she was thinking. Then, just as I thought I’d have to make a run for it, she sighed and shook her head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I knew that someday you’d ask me that again.” she muttered, putting down her utensils as well. I let out the breath I’d been holding.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I might as well tell you now.” Whitney began. “That room belonged to my mother, Syrin. I suppose now that I’ve told you that, you’d like to know where she is.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I nodded my head in response. I held my tongue, thinking it’d be better if I didn’t say anything.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She’s dead. Or, she might as well be. I suppose you already assumed as much, considering this world we now live in.” She paused and leaned back in her chair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d ask you if you want to know how she died, but you do, don’t you? Why do I even bother asking?” she sighed. “It was a few years ago - perhaps closer to a decade, when I was still in my teenage years. My mother and I were getting ready to eat breakfast, at this exact table.” She gave the tabletop a pat for emphasis.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There was a sound from outside, which I couldn’t really pinpoint. But she seemed to realize what it was, because she made me stay inside and hide while she went out to see. It… it was horrible. There was some shouting, arguing before sounds of a fight broke out. I wanted to go help her, I really did. But I was just so scared, and I kept telling myself that I was just doing what she told me to do…” She hung her head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“For a few seconds I thought it would be okay. I thought that she’d defeat whoever - </span>
  <em>
    <span>whatever</span>
  </em>
  <span> was out there and our life would return to normal again. I was so naive.” Whitney laughed. “Soon the screams and cries of pain turned into that of my mother’s. And that was when I knew I would never see her alive again.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Eventually everything went silent, but I waited a few more hours before I even dared to peek out the window. There were bodies here and there, and lots of blood spilled all around - but none of them was my mother. I never found her body. And so, even after having witnessed her death myself, I couldn’t even give her a proper burial.” she said, tears beginning to run down her cheeks. “Scratch that, it’d have to be a cremation. She deserves better than being buried in the soil of this world.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I didn’t know what to say. Why was everybody I met an orphan? “Whitney, I…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I suppose you want to know what happened to my father now, and where he was while this happened. He died before I was even born, Syrin. He sacrificed himself so my pregnant mother could escape with me still inside her belly. I grew up with only one parent, and then I lost her too before I was even an adult. I guess it’s lucky that I already knew all I needed to know to run the farm myself, huh?” she spat, getting up from her chair. I stood up as well.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Imagine if I wasn’t as lucky, and that happened a few years prior to that. Imagine that, a little girl, all by herself in the middle of nowhere, trying to figure out where her mommy went. Trying to understand how to do what mommy did, to make the plants grow tall so she can have some food. Eventually starving to death, getting raped by some passing demon, or hell, eaten by some monster prowling about in the night, WHO KNOWS!” Whitney snapped, stepping closer to me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And so, when I finally find someone who I can talk to, someone who I believed could finally cure me of my loneliness after all this time alone out here, he just HAS TO BRING UP OLD WOUNDS!!” she shouted, pointing a finger at the door. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Get out.” she growled. “I don’t want to see you ever again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I shook my head, standing my ground even as she bared her fangs at me. I didn’t know what to do, but I knew that leaving her here was the worst choice possible. “No, Whitney. I’m not leaving you here alone, not again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I SAID GET OUT!” she shrieked, throwing a punch at me. Instinctively, I raised an arm to block her attack. It just so happened to be that it was the exact same arm she’d been stitching up just a few hours ago. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So much for not putting too much strain on the wound.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The punch never landed, however. Her eyes widened as she realized which arm I was using to block - and at the last minute, moved her fist aside to glance off my elbow instead. I looked at her, at her deliberate miss, then at her again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She didn’t want to hurt me. That probably meant she didn’t really want me to leave, either. What had she said? </span>
  <em>
    <span>“someone who I believed could finally cure me of my loneliness...”</span>
  </em>
  <span>  I gently wrapped a hand around hers and pulled it down. She didn’t fight me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whitney, do you love me?” I asked her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I said get out.” she mumbled, not even trying to look intimidating anymore. I bent down and put us at eye level, staring into her eyes. She didn’t look away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Answer me, Whitney.” I said quietly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...Yes.” she admitted after a few seconds. “I do. I did the moment I began talking with you that day. I don’t know how, but I just </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span>. You were the one meant for me. I wanted, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>needed</span>
  </em>
  <span> you to stay with me. That was part of the reason I invited you to stay the night, and why I allowed you to stay whenever you wanted. I just- I just couldn’t stand being alone anymore. I wanted someone to be with me, to love me, to give me a family.” Tears ran down her cheeks once more as she held my hands in hers.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Syrin, I love you.” she begged. “Please, please just stay here on the farm and live with me. I can’t take it anymore. I don’t want to live alone.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I stared at her for a moment, unsure what to do. This was something I hadn’t been expecting - in fact, it was probably one of the last things I expected to happen to me in this world. Fighting demons? Definitely. Killing demons? Of course. Getting killed by the demons? Hopefully not, but it was there. Having a woman beg me to stay and live with her? Nope. Really didn’t see that one coming.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I hesitantly pushed her away, trying to ignore the look of despair that crossed her face. “Whitney, I have a duty to attend to. You know I can’t live the rest of my life here with you.” I said, trying to persuade her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She shook her head in refusal. “You don’t have to, Syrin. This farm is barely known to the demons. You can live a peaceful life here, without much trouble. I- I can teach you how to take care of the farm. You wouldn’t have to fight anymore!” she pleaded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The demons are a much larger force than you’d expect them to be. You </span>
  <em>
    <span>will</span>
  </em>
  <span> die going down the path you pursue. Why? Why can’t you just take the happiness you can get and live a happy life? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why do you fixate yourself on a goal that you know will never be achieved</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” she sobbed, finally breaking down. I wrapped my arms around her, trying to comfort her with a hug.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“For my own parents, Whitney. The demons killed my parents. They set fire to our house and burned it down with my mother and father still inside. I was five years old at the time.” I told her. “That is why I can’t stop. I have to avenge my parents.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That actually stopped her crying for a moment. “Your village is in another world. How did they set fire to your house?” she asked quietly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Magic. They used their magic to do it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Syrin, that’s impossible. You know that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was correct on that. I did have my suspicions as to whether it was even possible to send a flame to another dimension, and then have it target a specific location. Wouldn’t it be much easier to simply tell someone in that dimension to do it? My thirst for revenge quelled those thoughts, however, and so I never acted on them during my time in Ingnam. I wasn’t about to feed that train of thought just now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...We can still be friends, Whitney. I’ll make sure to stop by as often as I can.” I said, heading for the door. She didn’t try to stop me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Syrin.” she choked out. “If you leave me here right now, I’ll break down. You know that, right? Are you going to just leave me here like this? Is that what the Champion of Ingnam does?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No. But what he doesn’t do is abandon his duty to his village. I’m sorry, Whitney. I truly am.” I replied, opening the door and walking out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I felt like total shit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And as I heard a wailing howl come out of the open door I’d left behind, a tiny part of me deep within my heart died.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The next day</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you okay, Syrin? You don’t look too well today.” Amily remarked as I trudged into the village. Apparently she’d been waiting for me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine. Let’s just get to that factory so I can do what I have to do.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She gave me a strange look. “...Alright. You ready? This could very well be a one-way trip for you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know what I’ve signed up for. Now let’s go.” I muttered, turning to leave. Amily shook her head, then stepped out in front so she could lead the way.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s obviously something on your mind, Syrin. I can feel it. And if you let it plague your thoughts even while you’re there, you’re going to get yourself killed. Now, let it out or I’m not taking you there. I won’t knowingly lead a person to his death.” Amily commanded, stopping in her tracks with arms crossed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I gave her a hard stare.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She stared right back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>We stayed like that for a few seconds before I broke eye contact and sighed. “I don’t have time for this. Fine, I’ll tell you. Just keep moving.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amily nodded and resumed her path.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Remember that alternative food source I told you about before? Well, that came from this farmer dog-morph named Whitney. She and I met on my third day here, and apparently it was love at first sight for her after I spent the night at her farm.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The mouse-girl snickered at that. I ignored it and continued.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She lost her father while her mother was still pregnant, and then she lost her mother in her teenage years. She’s been living alone until now, all by herself on the farm. I still wonder how she didn’t go insane.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The snickering stopped.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anyways, yesterday I was attacked by a group of imps. I killed them all, but one managed to slash my arm.” I said, showing her the faint marks of the healed wound. I went to her so she could stitch it up, and after that she asked me to stay for lunch. One thing led to another, and suddenly she was begging me to stay on the farm and live with her. She was so lonely and didn’t want to live alone anymore.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...What did you do?” Amily quietly asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m here, on my way to possible death with you, Amily. What do you think I did?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She didn’t answer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So yes, right now I feel like total shit. I should probably go apologize to her after this is done. If I’m still alive to do that, that is.” I muttered, my spirit dulled from bringing up that topic again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I admire you, Syrin.” Amily said after a while. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I snapped my head towards her in confusion. “What?” I asked her, unsure of what I’d just heard.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I admire you. Your determination and dedication to your duty and your village. You can’t find a lot of that around here, not anymore.” she said, turning her head to look at me. “Those who haven’t lost their minds to the pleasure yet, it’s hard enough for us to get by daily. You’re doing that </span>
  <em>
    <span>while</span>
  </em>
  <span> fighting the demons and searching for your objectives. I doubt I’ll ever see another person with that kind of mindset and fighting spirit again, not in this world.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She absentmindedly rubbed her belly again as she looked forward again. “If only you’d give me children with that same strong soul…” she murmured. I was pretty sure she hadn’t meant for me to hear that, so I didn’t say anything. I had been thinking about her offer, though. She wasn’t asking me to stay with her like Whitney. Since she’d helped me with one of my goals, shouldn’t it be fair I help her with one of hers? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not now, though. Not now. I had to focus.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How did you even discover this factory to begin with?” I asked her to change the topic.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amily visibly grimaced, and I hoped I hadn’t asked a sensitive question.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...It was early on in my days of survival after the destruction of the village.” she began.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I still had some food scavenged from the ruins, and a good deal of water. But I knew that it wouldn’t last forever, and so I set out to see if I could find any other food sources. I was searching around the base of the mountains to see if there was a stream or small river from where I could fish or hunt for small animals. Instead I came upon this factory with smoke billowing out of its chimney. I should’ve known better than to check it out. I should’ve thought to turn back.” she spat, shaking her head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t as wise as I am now. I naively thought that maybe there’d be something to eat in there, and decided to sneak inside. And, well… Let’s say I came right back out.” she continued. That triggered my curiosity.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’d you see in there?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I… That… I’m not speaking of that again.” she growled. I nodded my head in understanding and dropped the question. Looks like I’ll have to see for myself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rest of the trip passed by in silence as we made our way to the demon factory.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is as far as I’ll take you, Syrin. Sorry, but I’m not going any closer to that place.” Amily finally said after a few hours, stopping on a rocky ridge. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I nodded and shook her hand. “Thanks. How do I get there from here?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re pretty much there already - look over there.” she replied, pointing a finger. I followed its direction with my eyes, to where a steady column of unnatural pink smoke rose from somewhere not far away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I see. Thank you again, Amily.” I said, getting ready to take on the demonic facility.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good luck, Syrin. I hope you finally destroy that wretched place.” Amily’s footsteps faded away as she turned back for her way home. I stood there on the ridge, watching the smoke rise for a minute before taking out my sword.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Here we go.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This is where Syrin's corruption truly starts.</p><p>It's only a little bit now, but it's going to grow steadily. There's a lot more Mareth has in store for our poor MC.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Treason</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The factory turned out to have no guards at all.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I stood there from a decent distance away, looking at the large, rusted iron structure. Cloying pink smoke billowed out from its tall smokestacks, and a group of green-tinged copper pipes stemmed from the rear of the building, climbing up the steep mountainside and disappearing into a hole in its face. High atop the roof, I noticed a huge water tower fed by smaller pipes that ran down the building’s side and off in the direction of the lake. So that was where all the corruptive fluids were being output from this foul place. All I’d really have to do is sabotage the pipeworks there and the problem would be solved.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Temporarily, that is. I had to go inside to properly shut down this facility permanently. I sighed and took a careful walk around the building, trying to see if there were any other methods of entry other than the single iron door adorning its front wall.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There were none. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I had to go in through the front door. Dammit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I pulled out my knife, readying myself for a close-quarters combat situation- and carefully opened the door, blade at the ready. Peeking around the open door revealed… some kind of stylish foyer, complete with works of art and a receptionist’s desk. Other than that, the first room was completely empty. I lowered the knife, but kept my guard up. Can’t be too careful inside enemy territory.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Curious about the presence of art in a place like this, I took a look at the paintings - which quickly revealed their true demonic nature. One appeared at first to be a painting of a beautiful smiling woman, except there were dripping tentacles coiling around the hem of her dress. Behind the receptionist’s desk, the second painting was even less discreet, openly depicting a number of imps gang-raping a vaguely familiar-looking woman. Also behind the desk was another secure-looking iron door- which after I cautiously tried the handle, turned out to be locked. There was a wooden door on the right side wall, which quietly opened when I tried the doorknob.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After a brief pause, I unsheathed my knife again and carefully snuck inside.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first thing that I noticed was the blue-skinned woman standing next to… what </span>
  <em>
    <span>seemed</span>
  </em>
  <span> like a coffee maker. The pot of steaming hot coffee was normal by looks, but the strange ebony sculpture of a busty woman with 'Mrs. Coffee' printed on the side definitely wasn’t. She had her back turned to me, oblivious to my presence - but it also showed me the tip of a spaded tail peeking out from under her skirt. Along with the two small horns on her head, it was quite obvious what she was.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Succubus.” I spat, switching to my sword instead. The holy blade would probably be a better weapon to use against the corrupt creature.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The busty succubus turned, her barely contained breasts jiggling obscenely as she noticed me. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Oh, like hi there stud! What’s a cute little morsel like you doing by yourself out here?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> she asked, taking a sip of her coffee.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I pointed the sword at her in response.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I suppose I really should thank you for coming down all by your lonesome. The boss is gonna be sooo happy we found you. Just think, in an hour or two we can get you strapped in and working with the others.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> she continued, sauntering over as she sipped her coffee again. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You’re so cute! I tell you what, if you agree to come with me, I’ll, like, make sure the experience is pleasurable.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before I realized what was happening, she crossed the distance between us and ran a stocking covered foot up my leg and thigh, almost to the groin. I let out a startled cry and slapped her leg away, and the demoness giggled as she pulled it back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“So are you ready and willing?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I’d been planning to drive my sword through her tainted heart and kill her then and there, but her words caught my attention.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The boss is gonna be so happy we found you.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>We can get you strapped in and working with the others.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>Others.</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you talking about?” I demanded, keeping the sword aimed at her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The succubus looked at me with a bemused expression. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You haven’t figured it out yet? Really? What do you think we make at this factory, bubble-gum?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> she asked with a cruel smile. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“We take human and once-human champions like you, pump you full of aphrodisiacs, body-altering drugs, and corrupting agents, and then milk you of your tainted fluids continually for the rest of your life! And don’t even start to ask why, I’ll tell you – there are still pockets of purity out there that repel cute demons like me. So the best way to deal with those is just to release a river of drug-filled sex-juice at them. By the time the area dries off, the locals welcome us with open arms... and spread legs.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I’d heard enough. Apparently this was where I was supposed to be delivered, to be turned into a corrupt-fluid dispenser for the demons. So this was what had happened to all the Champions that had been taken, and would have happened to me had I not resisted the Lust Draft that first day.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll kill you.” I told her, preparing for a fight.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She merely smiled in response. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I was secretly hoping you would say that. I’m going to make you beg me to hook you into the machines. Just wait.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Some unseen force closed the door behind me with an ominous </span>
  <em>
    <span>clang</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I wasn’t escaping this room without disposing of the succubus.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Like I cared. I was killing her either way.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I rushed forward, jerking my right hand forward for a quick stab. The demoness, still smiling, deftly sidestepped and then grabbed the blade with her own hand. Blood dripped from her hand onto the metal, but it didn’t even make her bat an eye.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What happened next, however, did.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a sharp cry of pain, the succubus let go of my sword, cradling her now burnt hand. The smell of burnt flesh filled the room as the blade glowed with a holy light, soothing my mind. My opponent however, hissed as she looked at it, no longer smiling.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Looks like our cute little Champion got himself a nice toy somewhere. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to corrupt that as well after I’m done with you.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> she promised, her hand already beginning to heal slowly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I brought up my blade again, but in a flash she’d swatted it aside with an arm, hissing as her skin burned on contact with the metal. She then knocked it out of my hand with a swift kick, spiked heels delivering a solid blow to my fingers. Before I could even go for my knife, she tackled me to the floor, pushing me on my back with her on top.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Now, this seems like a much better position, don’t you think?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> she purred, rubbing her luscious behind against my groin. Despite my disgust, my cock responded in kind, slowly beginning to form a tent. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Don’t worry, we’re just getting started.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> In a flash, she darted forward and pressed her face down, planting her plump lips against my own. I stared at her in shock as she broke contact, a thin sliver of saliva connecting our lips. A long tongue swirled out of her mouth and lapped it up as she smirked at me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“That didn’t feel too bad, did it? Now, beg me for another. Do it.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> she commanded. I noticed something in the air around her that made me feel oddly warm. My lips burned with an unexpected flash of heat, sending tingling sensations all throughout my body. A puff of ectoplasmic gas escaped my mouth, and I realized with horror that it was part of my soul.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It darted through the air to the waiting succubus, and she slurped it down like a delicious snack. As I watched, she let out a pleasured moan, her wounds starting to close up as she drenched my groin with her juices. I felt feverishly hot and exhausted… and for some reason I really wanted another kiss from the demoness. It just felt so good to have her suck up my soul- </span>
  <b>
    <em>NO!</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A burst of adrenaline cleared my thoughts as I whipped out my knife and stabbed her right between the ribs, causing her to shriek in agony. I shoved her off me, tossing her bleeding form aside and snatching up my dropped sword. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before she could even react, I drove the tip of the blade straight through her heart.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“....!!!”</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She tried to say something, but only managed to let out garbled gasps for breath. I watched as the metal glowed again with that same holy light, setting fire to her wound from the inside. The succubus howled as she slowly burned up, leaving nothing behind but a pile of ashes. My knife clattered as it fell to the floor, released from her body as it was destroyed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Filthy demon scum.” I spat, spitting on the ashes. I picked up my knife and made my way over to the counter, retrieving the iron key hanging on the wall there. My sights turned to the steaming coffee pot placed under the strange statue, and I wondered if it was worth the risk. It’s not like I’d be finding any more coffee any time soon…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘Eh, why not.’ I thought, pouring myself a cup. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I took a sip of the rich creamy coffee and suddenly felt refreshed, my thoughts clearing from the succubus’ lusty actions and my mind more focused.. As I replaced the coffee pot however, the busty coffee-maker came to life, grabbing her thick dusky nipples and squeezing out a trickle of scaldingly hot liquid. I watched with mixed parts of horror and fascination as her eyes rolled up into her head as she automatically refilled the missing coffee, mouth open with ecstasy. Her movements gradually slowed as the coffee reached the brim of the pot, nearly overflowing. A contented smile graced her features as she froze back into place, unmoving once again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I swiftly set down my cup, wondering if ‘Mrs. Coffee’ was created or one of the victims of this place. Either way, I wasn’t drinking any more of that coffee. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I slipped out the now open door, key in possession and ready to proceed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A cacophony of thrumming mechanical noise greeted me as I stepped through the iron door. Coppery pipes arched overhead, riveted into spiked iron brackets that hang from the ceiling in twisted pairs. The constant thrum-thrum-thrum of concealed pumps and mechanisms made it difficult to hear anything, but I could make out the faint sounds of sexual pleasure emanating from the far left side of the room. After a brief investigation, I noticed a door along the west wall of the room that appeared to be the source of the licentious sounds. The vibrations of all the machinery were strongest along the other side's walls, indicating the possible site of this hellish place’s power-plant.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For now though, I had to find the controls.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pushing open the door on the left, I entered what seemed to be the main chamber of the factory. The room was filled with a chorus of sexual moans, drowning out any other sounds. Rows of harnesses were spaced evenly throughout the room, nearly all of them filled with delirious-looking humans. Each had huge breasts and a penis of elephantine proportions. The source of their delirium hung down from the ceiling - groups of hoses that ended with needles buried deep into the poor girls' flesh, pumping them full of demonic chemicals. Constant sucking and slurping noises emanated from nipple and cock pumps as they kept their victims in a state of near-constant orgasm.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Adding insult to injury was the fact I could clearly see that at the end of one row, there was an empty harness. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The spot I was supposed to take. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I kept my gaze fixed on it as I walked through the lines of moaning over-endowed herms, readying my sword. Once I got within range, I slammed the blade down on the harness, slicing through its components and damaging it beyond repair. I kept going at it until it was nothing but pieces of useless leather and metal, reduced to scrap. Even then, my rage refused to go down, demanding that I vent it somewhere. The only other option was to destroy a harness with someone still inside it however, so I forced myself to calm down and looked back at the rows of captured victims. If what the succubus had said was true, then most of them were former Champions.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll set you guys free. Hang in there.” I told them, but I doubted they actually heard me, whether be it through the sounds of moaning or the lust that clouded their minds. I turned and headed for the stairwell at the back of the room, seeing that it led up to some kind of foreman’s office. The controls - and whoever was running this place - would undoubtedly be in there.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Walking up the stairs, I drew my sword and entered the office.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello there, Champion.” a blue-skinned succubus greeted me from behind her desk as I entered. She had nothing covering her upper body except for a narrow band of fabric wrapped around her generous chest, doing nothing to hide the erect nubs of her nipples. “I hope you had fun taking out my minions downstairs. Did you enjoy the tour of the facilities?” she asked, getting up from her seat and walking around to my side.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This in turn revealed she was completely nude except for that piece of fabric. I subconsciously glanced at her glistening womanhood before tearing my gaze back to her eyes, but I could already feel the blood rushing to my groin. The succubus paced around the edge of the desk, licking her lips as she spoke up. “So, how do you feel after seeing this place? That you were meant to be sent here to be used as another part of our factory?” she asked me, her spade-tipped tail swinging lazily from side to side.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I pointed my sword at her. “You’re going down with this factory, demon.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She let out an exasperated sigh as she stopped, turning around to look at the ‘production line’ below through the glass windows. “You know, those were my exact words when I first came here.” she said. “Seems like the Champions haven’t gotten any more creative on their threats.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I paused, my thoughts freezing to a halt as I heard those words. “...What?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The blue-skinned demoness turned to face me once more. “What if I told you that I was once a Champion, just like you?” she said, crossing her arms. Whether she did it because she was serious or just to emphasize her breasts, I couldn’t tell.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...Bullshit.” I spat, keeping the sword pointed at her. “A Champion would never abandon their duty to Ingnam like that, much less join the demons they were sent here to fight.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And that’s where you’re wrong, sweetie.” she replied, flashing a wicked grin. “You want proof? I’ll name every Elder of Ingnam, how about that?” She proceeded to do exactly what she had promised, including Nomur. My heart skipped a beat as she completed her task, my stance faltering as my mind reeled in shock.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No way… that’s- was she really-</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I still don’t believe you.” I retorted, managing to keep my suspicions together. “You could have tortured the previous Champions for that information.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And why, pray tell, would I do that? What use would I have of the names of the elders? So I can convince someone I was also a Champion, just in case he manages to make it all the way here? Don’t you think that’s a bit too unlikely?” she replied, tilting her head in mock confusion. “Very well, have it your way. Ask a question of your own.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How did you go through the portal?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I climbed up Mount Ilgast with one of the elders leading the way, went through an endless patch of tall grass, waited inside a pitch-dark cave for the portal to appear, then jumped through it.” she answered instantly, knocking off every single detail I’d experienced as well.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I stood there, sword arm outstretched, my mouth gaping open with shock before I accepted the hideous fact and slowly lowered my weapon. “...You really were a Champion.” I muttered, sticking the tip of the blade into the floor in frustration.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nice to see you’ve accepted the truth, dear. Now then, let’s introduce ourselves. My name is - well, was - Lenora. What’s yours?” she asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Syrin.” I retorted, still shaken by the current situation.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Syrin. Well, Syrin, I suppose you’re curious as to how I became… well, this?” she asked, arms uncrossing to show off the entirety of her demonic beauty. Trying (and failing) to ignore the temptations of her flesh, I nodded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Long story, really. I started off as any other Champion here- caught the moment I came through the portal, fed a Lust Draft by an imp and then taken here. Thing is, just like you I fought off the imp and escaped before reaching this place.” she began, slowly walking towards me. “I won’t go through every single detail after that, but to sum it up many things happened, and I ended up partially looking like this with some heavy corruption flowing through my body. Then I stumbled upon this place, and remembering my initial vow I decided I’d take it down. The </span>
  <em>
    <span>past</span>
  </em>
  <span> overseer of this place gave me a good explanation on why I shouldn’t, however.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She stopped in front of me and met her eyes with mine, crimson orbs in a pool of black staring out at my blue ones. “Tell me, did the bitch downstairs tell you exactly </span>
  <em>
    <span>how</span>
  </em>
  <span> this all began? The Champions being shipped here to be used as cum-and-milk dispensers?" she asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I shook my head. "No… she only told me what they were being used for, and that this was my true purpose."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lenora laughed at that, her laughter filling the room as she sauntered away back to her desk. She sat down on it and crossed her legs, settling into an eerily sexy pose with her genitals just barely visible. “Well then, let me tell you how this works.” she smirked, taking a sip of that damn coffee I’d seen earlier. “See, your village elders are old. Pretty old, I should say. They should’ve all died by now. A few decades ago their oldest member decided he wasn’t going to die of old age and leave his position behind. Greedy old fuck, him. Anyways, so he managed to get in touch with the demons here in Mareth and strike up a deal.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My blood ran cold at that sentence. She noticed my reaction and laughed again. “Finally realized where this is going, Syrin? Well sit tight, it just gets better from here. See, the demons were happy to grant him immortality - but they wanted something in return. They wanted him to send them a sacrificial cow every year in return, or they’d revoke his newfound power.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now, Greedy Old Fuck - I’ll call him Gof now - realizes there’s no way he can kidnap a young man/woman and send them through a portal to the demons every year without eventually getting caught. So what does he do? He reaches out to his other Gof friends who weren’t the best people around and tells them of the deal. They instantly joined in, and then got rid of those who still had enough decency to refuse selling out their own people. The remainders think of a way to make sending a person through a portal to their doom seem legitimate, and just like that the ‘tradition’ of sending Champions began.” she finished, setting down her cup. “You were never a Champion or a hero, dear. You were just the elders keeping their end of the deal.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My mind was addled with so many emotions at this point.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Confusion.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shock.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anger.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Rage.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lenora chuckled as she read the emotions going through my expression. “Oh dear, now we’ve got our little Champion mad, haven’t we?” she taunted. I snapped my head up to glare at her at that, my hand gripping my sword so hard my knuckles began to turn white. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Shut up.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> I snarled, bringing up my weapon once again. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m still going to kill you, traitor.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She merely snickered at that, waving a hand at me. “You can’t really call me a traitor when the real traitors are back home in Ingnam, can you? Now, enough of that. As a former Champion to another, let me offer you a deal of my own - similar to the one I received after the same exact explanation I just gave you. Join me.” she said, extending her hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The shock of the situation managed to clear my mind of my anger. “...What?” I managed to say.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like I said, join me. You’ve managed to stay alive this far, found this place and then fought your way to me. You’ve proved that you at least have some wits and fighting skills in you. I could make use of someone like you at my side. Join me, sweetie. Endless power and unimaginable pleasure awaits you.” she cooed, beckoning me towards her with clawed fingers.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I stared at the hand for a while, clashing thoughts running rampant inside my head. I knew it was the wrong thing to do - but was it really so wrong to find myself a life here? She’d already proved my original purpose was to be hooked up like the others down there, suspended in endless limbo as the machines sucked torrents of sexual fluids out of my body. Compared to that, the right-hand man of this factory’s manager didn’t seem so bad. And was it really treason? The elders had already sold out the town to the demons. There was no loyalty to be cast aside here.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Transformation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>I stepped forward, reaching out to take her hand, to join her at her side… when suddenly, Whitney’s sobbing face appeared in my thoughts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Why? Why do you fixate yourself on a goal that you know will never be achieved</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“For my own parents, Whitney. I have to avenge my parents.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My parents.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I still had to get revenge for my parents.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gods… what had I been thinking?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I jerked my hand back and thrust the sword out at her again. “No. I’m not doing this. I may be no Champion, but I didn’t come here to join the demons and their endless depravities.” I spat, preparing for a fight.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lenora slowly withdrew her hand. “That’s a shame, Syrin. I was hoping I would finally find someone I could actually trust. My former boss overthrew </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span> boss before I did the same to her.” she said quietly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I snorted in disbelief at her response. “Does a demon like you even know what trust is anymore?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am no ordinary demon, dear. And even then you should have known better than to tell a demon your real name.” she replied, her hands glowing as she cast a spell of some kind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you-” my words caught in my throat as I found myself unable to move. A second later, I internally screamed as I realized my mouth no longer worked, either.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know Syrin, you could have had so much by being with me. You could have gained power that you would never have achieved as a mere human. You could have had endless days of pleasure and ecstasy. You could have had </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” Lenora said, slowly walking up to me with sadness in her eyes. “But since you’ve refused, all that has gone to waste now.” She reached out and stroked my cheek. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What I </span>
  <em>
    <span>should</span>
  </em>
  <span> do now is take you down there and hook you up, like I should have done from the beginning. But will I do that? No, Syrin. I can not be </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> cruel to a member of my former village. So, I’m going to have you be my pet instead.” she told me, forcing my head down so I was looking straight into her eyes. “But first, let’s get you in the right mindset for me.” I tried with all I had to tear my gaze away from her, but my body refused to do as I told it to.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Look at me. That’s it. Look into my eyes…”</span>
  </em>
  <span> the succubus cooed, her eyes glowing with a strange light. I felt drained, my body losing all of its strength as I stared at her. It felt like she was sucking my soul out with her eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Now, who am I?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> she asked. I found myself able to speak again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A demon I should’ve killed the moment I saw her.” I spat, still unsuccessfully trying to turn my head away from her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Wrong answer. Let’s try again.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> she said, her eyes glowing once more. I shuddered, my resolve starting to shatter under her gaze. My knees gave out, and I collapsed to the floor in a crumpled heap. Two high heels entered my view before a hand raised my head, making me look at those damned eyes again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Who am I, Syrin?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fuck you.” I snarled, determined to resist her to the bitter end.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Wrong answer. Let’s try again.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she repeated. I trembled as I felt my very existence being washed away from myself. My thoughts no longer seemed like my own. Brain sluggish, mind numb. Where am I? What was I even doing here?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Who am I?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> came a soft voice from somewhere. I struggled to process the question as I lay there on the ground, my mind going blank as it tried to activate logical functions that no longer worked. It resorted to responding with the first thing that formed a complete word.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...M- Mistress?” I blurted out, my thoughts still going haywire.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Very good, my pet. Let’s repeat that a few times.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> came the response. For some reason, it felt good hearing that. Her positive words gave my addled mind joy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Who am I?” </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mistress.” I answered. It was easier to answer her now. My head felt like it was finally being cleared of the fog.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Who am I?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mistress.” My next answer came even easier. It was like this was how it’d been my entire life. Yes, that must be it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Who are you?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The change in question did not startle me. Mistress was giving me a challenge. She wanted to see if I still had enough left to understand what she was saying. I did not want to disappoint her. “Your pet, Mistress.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Very good.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> A hand reached down and patted me on the head. It felt really good. I could feel Mistress’ love and warmth spreading out into my body upon that brief moment of contact. If I had a tail, I’d surely be wagging it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You see, I used to have a pet dog when I was still living in Ingnam.” said Mistress, her eyes no longer glowing. I tilted my head in confusion. What was Ingnam?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He died many years ago before I became the Champion and came here, to Mareth.” she continued, her story only confusing me even more. Champion? Mareth? What did those words mean? It must be something good, right? She didn’t look mad at me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think you’ll make a fine replacement for him, Syrin. But instead of a dog, let’s make you a wolf. How’s that sound, Syrin?” Mistress told me. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I nodded my head in response. “Yes, Mistress.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My very own pet wolf. I think you’ll come in very handy when I have to keep my next subordinate under control. Who knows, I might even get you a bitch of your own when the next Champion comes here.” she said, her hands sparking with magic. I flinched as she placed them on the sides of my head, but otherwise didn’t move.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Hold still, dear. This will hurt quite a bit.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> was all the warning I received before my world exploded into pain.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pain.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was so much pain.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My body felt like it was being torn apart to shreds, then rebuilt from the ground up. In fact, whether it was from being overloaded with so much pressure on its pain receptors I would never know, but my mind had partially cleared from the demoness’ spells. I still had only minimal control over my own body, but I at least realized the fact I was being manipulated by her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘How do I break free of this? Once whatever’s going on is complete I’ll never have a chance.’</span>
  </em>
  <span> I thought, gritting my teeth as I felt my jaw extend out from my skull. Blood poured out of my newly-formed muzzle as teeth fell out and were replaced, sharp fangs taking their place. The entirety of my body was covered in gray fur now, dripping blood from fingertips as claws burst forth from the nails. I clutched at the floor with an arm with muscles bulging under the skin, bones cracking and shifting as I morphed into the desired choice of Mis- the succubus.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Gods it hurts so much-</span>
  </em>
  <span> My internal screams of agony were briefly interrupted as the last of my clothes finally tore apart, no longer able to contain my transformed body. A familiar white pearl dropped down from a destroyed pocket. I stared at it for a second before realizing what it was.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“It will give you a boost in strength and cleanse you of any taint that resides within your body or mind. Use it wisely, for it will only work once.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With all the willpower I had left, I raised a single clawed hand - and slammed it down on the pearl. It broke open instantly, releasing a faint mist that washed over me. Immediately I felt refreshed, my senses returning as I regained control over my body. Adrenaline rushed through my veins as I swept my claws across a surprised Lenora’s ankle, slicing through tendons and tissue. Blood burst from the wound as she let out a cry of agony, dropping to a knee as the damaged limb no longer supported her weight. Giving her no time to recover, I leapt at her with my new fangs ready to rip through her throat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Not so fast, sweetie.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> she snarled, and an unseen force tossed me aside just as I was only inches from her head. I crashed into the wall, cracking its surface before falling to the floor in a heap. I shook my head and growled at her as I prepared another attack. I never got the chance however, as that same force wrapped around my neck and dragged me across the floor towards her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Already trying to bite your owner’s hand, hmmm? Looks like we need some more discipline lessons, Syrin.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Lenora said flatly, her ankle already starting to heal. I ignored her, instead focusing on the sword I’d dropped when she put me under her spell. As she pulled me in, I snatched it up from the floor and threw it at her, aiming for her chest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Okay, so I think I underestimated how much my body changed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The blade whistled through the air as it sped across the room like an arrow, much faster than I’d expected. The succubus’ eyes widened briefly before a ring of magic formed around the weapon, halting it for a split second… and then fizzled out, leaving the sword to resume on its path. It sailed straight through her torso and then exited in an explosion of blood and gore, leaving a hole the size of her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lenora stared at me with disbelief, her skin paling with each passing second as she stumbled back. “H-how…” she managed to choke out, then collapsed to the floor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I win, bitch.” I said with a toothy grin, before the aftereffects of everything that had happened finally caught up. Darkness rolled over my vision as I passed out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Syrin.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Grandad?” I said, looking up to the old man with a smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn’t smile. “I was going to tell you this when you were older, but I think the time has come. Syrin, your parents aren’t coming back.” he told me, his mouth a grim line as he held me by the shoulders.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I tilted my head in confusion. “What do you mean, they’re not coming back?” I asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nomur let out a deep sigh before looking at me once more. “Syrin, I told you that your parents went away on a long journey, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, what about it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Son, I am terribly sorry to tell you this, but I lied. Your parents died when your house burned down with them still inside. I am very sorry, Syrin.” he said, hugging me tightly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I stood there in silence, trying to understand what he had just said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My parents were dead? So… they weren’t coming back?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I’d never see them again?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No.” I whispered, tears beginning to run down my cheeks. “You’re lying.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am not lying this time, Syrin. It’s time for you to face the truth.” Nomur said, still hugging me. “I am so, so sorry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“NO!!!” I screamed, breaking free of his grasp and running away. “I HATE YOU!!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Syrin, wait!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My screaming only ended when I ran headfirst into a wall, blinded from my tears.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I woke with a groan.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My head throbbed with a massive headache as I sat up, trying to get my bearings.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Systems check commencing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Head - Massive headache, mouth looks more like a wolf’s muzzle but otherwise fine. Oh, my ears changed too. Great. Hearing is really sensitive now. I think I can hear my own heartbeat if I focus on it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Body - Seems fine, except I have a lot more muscle on me than I remember. Also covered in gray fur everywhere.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Arms/Legs - Feels really different. My own body weight doesn’t even register to me anymore, even if I swing an arm around it’s like wiggling a finger. Oh, and I have claws on my hand now. Can I retract those? Yes, I can. I don’t know </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span> I can, but no complaints there.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Special parts - ...yep. That’s changed too. Red, pointy tapered thing. Knot and all, the entire package. At least it got bigger, so I guess that’s a win.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oh, and I’m naked now. Great.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Grunting, I stood up, taking a shaky step. My center of balance seemed to have changed along with my transformed body, and it was tricky trying to learn how to walk again. I got used to it after a few minutes of clumsy walking however, and made my way over to where my things lay. I picked up my sword and knife, along with my pack. I gave Lenora’s bloodied corpse a glance before making my way to the door.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My discarded armor caught my eye, though.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It should’ve been destroyed along with my clothes as my body changed inside it. Yet there it was, strewn across the floor completely intact. It looked to be in the same condition as when I first found it in Excellia’s den. By this point, I wasn’t really even that surprised.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thank you, OP magic.” I muttered, before picking it up and putting it on. At least I had something covering my private parts now. I glanced at Lenora’s dead body once more before noticing she had something inside her clothes. After some quick rummaging, I took out a small key hidden within her robes. It had the engravings of a gear on it - I guess this was the key to the machinery of the factory.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See you never.” I muttered, then slipped out the open door.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I slipped my newly-acquired key into the door marked ‘Pump Control Room’ and turned, finding with a hint of satisfaction that it unlocked smoothly with a ‘click’. I opened it to reveal a simple, small room that wasn’t really much more than a closet in reality. There was a simple set of mechanical controls on a finely crafted terminal against the far wall, however. I went over and mulled over them for a moment, then decided to close the storage vent valves and overload the fluid storage systems. It’d make the facility’s systems suffer catastrophic failures and shut down forever.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This was what I was here to do, right? To destroy the factory and make sure it wouldn’t be operating again any time soon?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Something within my mind told me this was a bad idea, that I should just shut down the system and then smash the controls… but I discarded that thought. All of the hardware would be perfectly intact if I did that. The blow would only be temporary, and this place would have a new overseer in just a few days. No, I had to make sure the damage would be permanent.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a quick twist of a knob, I overrode the pressure vents for the storage tanks. Within minutes, I heard the sounds of popping rivets and straining pumps from outside. I rushed out the door again and to Lenora’s office, looking out over the factory floor through the glass window. Many of the pipes fractured, dripping all sorts of chemicals over the moaning captives. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Smoke rose from the pumps as one by one, they began to short out and overheat. I stumbled to the side as a massive blast echoed from somewhere, making the entire building shudder from the shockwave. A high pitched whine filled the building as the last motors fizzed out and then died, smoke erupting from their burnt surface. I watched with a grin on my face as the captives slowly came to their senses, the flood of drugs and artificial pleasure no longer keeping them in stasis.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time to go meet them. But first…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I went back to the control room and picked up a large discarded wrench, heading for the controls. WIth a few well-placed strikes, the terminal was soon reduced to nothing but a sparking mess of useless metal. The demons certainly wouldn’t be using this place any time soon, I’d made sure of it now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cock?” a girl with huge breasts and an equally large penis said, tilting her head as she stared at me. I stared back at her, unsure what to make of the situation.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cock!” she squealed happily, then leapt at me with arms outstretched. Her hands grabbed for my wolf-dick, and I jumped back startled. “Hey, stop!” I yelled, but she made no sign of doing so. In fact she began shoving a hand between her legs while stroking her immense erection with the other, masturbating herself while she kept coming towards me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Coooock…” she sighed, then sank to her knees on the spot happily jerking herself off, already having forgotten about me. I stared at her in despair, then looked out across the ‘production line’ floor to realize a lot of the other freed captives were in a similar situation. Some were already deep inside others’ holes in a depraved orgy, and a few were even trying to hook themselves back up to the ruined machinery.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I’d come too late. There was no one to save here. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I sadly gazed at the second wave of degeneracy I’d unintentionally unleashed, then concluded there was nothing more I could do here and decided to leave. As I reached the door to the way out however, one of the girls knocked me to the side, her eyes unfocused and mouth drooling with her tongue hanging out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“COCK!!” she shouted with glee, before pushing my armor out of the way and began licking at my dick, trying to get me hard. I tried to push her away, but she was incredibly heavy with her insane-sized breasts and all. All around, similar cries of “cock?” and “pussy!” filled the air as many of the other herms paused what they were doing to stare at us.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In that moment, I felt a shiver run down my spine as dozens of eyes landed on me and my unwanted partner. I had to act quickly or soon I’d be forced into the sexual clusterfuck this room was in. I tore my eyes from the sight of the other captives slowly approaching me, to the one who had managed to get me erect and was now happily sucking away at my lupine member. She had to be disposed of in order for me to escape. There was no other choice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry.” I whispered, before pulling out my knife and stabbing her in the neck.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her eyes immediately rolled back, her head slumping down as she died instantly. I stared at her for a second before remembering the current situation I was in, shoving the dead body aside and making a run for the door. I slammed it shut just as the sex-crazed herms collided with the other side, pounding on it as they continued their frenzied cries. I slumped down on the floor, my back to the shaking door as I contemplated the fact I’d just killed an innocent victim of the demons to save myself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>murdered </span>
  </em>
  <span>her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I closed my eyes and rested my head against the steel door, the sounds of pounding and the herms’ cries slowly fading out as tears spilled down my muzzle.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m sorry.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was nearly dark by the time I staggered onto the grounds of Whitney’s farm, slowly making my way towards the farmhouse barely visible in the rays of the fading sunlight. I walked past the familiar rows of fruits and vegetables, taking note that I couldn’t see any lights turned on inside.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That didn’t seem normal.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Whitney!” I called out. “You in there? It’s me, Syrin!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No response. I’d at least expect a light to come on if she was sleeping.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whitney?” I said, slowly extending a hand to the door. With a growing sense of horror, I realized it wasn’t shut. In fact, it seemed to be in the exact same state I’d left it in as I came out of the house a few days ago.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“WHITNEY!”</b>
  <span> I yelled, bursting open the door and rushing inside.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Time seemed to freeze in that single moment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Days, months, years passed by as in slow-motion, my knees gave out again and I fell to the floor in utter despair. I might’ve screamed, too. I would never know, for there were no other living witnesses of the scene.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Whitney’s cold, dead eyes silently stared back at me as she hung from the ceiling.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Killing an innocent, walking straight into the scene of a suicide he caused... our poor Syrin is well on the way into the depths of insanity and corruption.</p><p>Don't worry, it gets even worse from here. Mareth still has a lot more left in store.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Traumas</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I stayed there, collapsed on the floor for hours and hours. To me it may as well have been weeks and months - but when I finally managed to gather my wits enough to realize where I was, the sun had already risen. Sunlight filled the room with brightness, allowing me to see Whitney’s corpse that much better.</p><p> </p><p>For the first time since I’d come here, I wished it was night. Now I could very clearly see her eyes as well, and even though they were frozen in place they seemed to be staring straight down at me. <em> You killed me, </em> they whispered. <em> You killed me. You killed me. </em> To make matters worse, the face of the girl I’d killed at the demon factory started to overlap as well.</p><p> </p><p>“N-No,” I managed to sputter, “I didn’t kill you. You hung yourself. That’s suicide, not murder!” </p><p> </p><p>I inched away from the corpse, trying to turn and go back out the door. All I managed to do was push myself about an inch, my hands trembling so much I couldn’t even get them to move the way I wanted. I changed my goal to at least turning away from her, to get away from those damned eyes. </p><p> </p><p>I’d barely turned my head a few inches when Whitney spoke up. <em> “Oh no you don’t. Where do you think you’re going?” </em></p><p> </p><p>My sights whipped back to her so fast my head spun for a moment.</p><p> </p><p>The body hadn’t moved. I wondered if it had been my imagination.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Hello again, Syrin. It’s a bit of a shame to be seeing you in this condition, don’t you think?” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Whitney was long dead. Her lips never parted.</p><p> </p><p>And yet I could hear her clear as day.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re dead.” I blurted out. “You’re dead!”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Perhaps I am. Or am I? Is this my ghost talking to you inside your mind, or have you gone insane from the sight of my body? Can you even tell the two apart?” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“Get- get out of my head!” I screamed, tossing my head this way and that, trying to drown out her voice. Nothing worked.</p><p> </p><p><em> “If I am actually a ghost, nothing you can say would make me do that, not after you made me hang myself. If I am a part of your imagination, well… the only person who can make me stop is you, Syrin. My presence is simply a result of all the guilt you’ve built up during your journey.” </em> Whitney said, her voice never wavering. It felt like I was listening to a disembodied soul… which I realized I probably was.</p><p> </p><p>“What… what do you want?” I said, trying to keep myself calm. <em> I’m still alright, I’m not insane, I’m still alright, I’m not insane… </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Why, for you to not leave me here like this again, of course. You left me hanging once, Syrin. Are you going to do it a second time? Would you do that?” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“You want me to cut you down?” I asked, trying not to black out from the sheer shock of what was going on. “Is that what you want?”</p><p> </p><p><em> “Yes. The least you could do for me is make sure I have a proper resting place. You owe me at least that much, Syrin. You shouldn’t have left me alone that night.” </em> Whitney replied. I still wasn’t sure if I was talking to a ghost, or a result of my battered mind acting up from my guilt.</p><p> </p><p>“I- I’m sorry, Whitney. I couldn’t stay with you, not when you were begging me to stay here and live with you for the rest of my life. I had a duty to fulfill. I’m sorry, I really am!” I pleaded, trying to convince her.</p><p> </p><p><em> “And did fulfilling your duty prove to be worth it?” </em> came the answer.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s- well, I…” I stammered, pausing as I cut through the rope holding her up. My hand brushed against her face, and the sensation of cold, dead skin sent me reeling - nearly making me fall off the chair I was using. It was probably the same one Whitney had used to hang herself as well.</p><p> </p><p>That thought didn’t help me out at all.</p><p> </p><p>“I learned that there was no such duty to begin with, Whitney. I am no Champion. I’m just a sacrificial cow sent from my village to the demons.” I said quietly, cutting through the last of the strands. The body fell to the floor with a <em> thump. </em></p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “What an honorable deed you did then. Causing a young woman to kill herself chasing a path that never existed.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“I…” My head fell at that. She was right, and I couldn’t deny it. “I came back here to apologize to you after I learned the truth of what was happening to the previous Champions. I wanted to tell you that I’d live with you like you asked me. I just want to live a peaceful life now! I don’t want to do this Champion crap anymore!” I yelled, my voice echoing around the empty room. “I’m sorry, Whitney! I really am! I just wish I could go back to that day and stay with you for the night, then at least I would be talking to you in the flesh, not as an invisible voice!”</p><p> </p><p><em> “You’re already too late for that, Syrin. You know that.” </em> Whitney replied, her monotone words showing no emotion of any kind. <em> “Now take my body into the yard and burn it.” </em></p><p> </p><p>“You deserve better than being buried in the soil of this world, huh?” I said, repeating the words she’d previously said to me as I carried her body out the door.</p><p> </p><p><em> “On my farmland, being buried wouldn’t be that bad. But this place won’t last forever, especially now that I’m gone.” </em> Her voice went silent as I built up a small fire, then placed her cold corpse on top of a pile of wood. I grabbed a burning stick from the fire, ready to throw it onto the pile.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you going to leave when I burn your body, or am I going to have to deal with you for the rest of my life as punishment?” I asked her.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Am I a ghost or a result of your own guilt, Syrin? Only you can tell me the answer to that.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>“By this point I’m hoping you’re a ghost, Whitney. I really don’t like the idea of having gone insane, from doing things I believed to be the right thing at the time.” I said, hovering the flame above the wood pile. “So, do I light this up or not? The stick’s about to burn out.”</p><p> </p><p>No answer.</p><p> </p><p>“Whitney?” Despite knowing there wouldn’t be anyone to find, I looked around subconsciously.</p><p> </p><p>Silence.</p><p> </p><p>I looked back at Whitney’s body, noticing for the first time that there was something tucked into the collar of her shirt. Making sure to look away from her face, I carefully reached over and took it out.</p><p> </p><p>A letter. She’d placed it where I’d have to have looked at her while taking it out. Petty revenge? Probably. I tucked it into my own pocket before looking back at the flaming stick I held in my hand. It was about to go out - it had maybe a minute left at most.</p><p> </p><p>“If there’s a Heaven in this world, I sure hope you made it there, Whitney. I wish you were here so I could apologize to you in person… but I guess this’ll have to do. I’m sorry, Whitney. I’m sorry I left you by yourself that night, even after you begged me to stay. I’m sorry that I chose a duty that didn’t even exist over an innocent soul pleading for help. I’m sorry that I wasn’t a better person when I could have been. I… I’m sorry for everything. I really am.” I let out, tears starting to stream down my face again. </p><p> </p><p>“Goodbye, Whitney. Rest in peace.” </p><p> </p><p>I let the stick fall onto the wood.</p><p> </p><p>Flames swept up from the point of contact, swiftly consuming the entire pile, along with Whitney’s body. I watched as the wood slowly turned black, smoke starting to rise from the fire as it burned away the remains of my friend. Tears fell at my feet as I turned, wanting nothing but to leave this sorry place behind.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> “Goodbye, Syrin. I forgive you.” </em>
</p><p> </p><p>I froze at those words, my body trembling as I stood rooted to the spot.</p><p> </p><p>Then, slowly, I resumed walking again without looking back.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p> </p><p>~-~</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Hello, Syrin. I hope seeing me in this form didn’t frighten you too much. Though, if it did, I guess it’s good riddance. You did leave a woman who begged you to stay all by herself. Did you assume I’d just get over it?  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Sadly, I didn’t. Or rather, I can’t. I’ve been living here alone for over a dozen years. The only thing that kept me sane was the brief periods of contact with my buyers at Tel’Adre, but even that wasn’t enough. It wasn’t like I could move there either; I’m a farmer. I have no other skills than this. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> You were the one light that showed me a glimpse, a strand of hope that I could finally break free of all this loneliness, this maddening sadness that swept my mind ever since my mother died. I thought I could finally be happy again. I thought I would have a family again, someday. I thought that you wouldn’t reject me, even if it was very abrupt considering the amount of time we knew each other.  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Apparently I was wrong. You were too determined to follow your path of duty, even if it was destined to bring you your doom. Even my begging didn’t sway you, it seems. I don’t blame you, Syrin. I understand what it feels like to lose a parent. You wanted revenge more than you wanted a peaceful, happy life. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> So, you know what? If you ever need a place to settle down after you’ve done everything you have to, the farm’s yours. There’s a journal in my room containing all the knowledge I’ve gathered over the years on how to tend to the crops. I hope it will be of good use to you. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Live a better life than I did, Syrin. For my sake. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Whitney </em>
</p><p> </p><p>The reality of what I’d done slowly settled in as I finished reading the short letter. In a nutshell, I’d indirectly killed her.</p><p> </p><p>If only I’d stayed with her for just that night, she wouldn’t have killed herself.</p><p> </p><p>If only.</p><p> </p><p>I sighed, reading the letter one final time before crumpling it up and tossing it overboard. The soft splashing of the water against the boat did nothing to soothe my troubled thoughts. </p><p> </p><p>I now had another innocent death on my conscience. One was a poor victim of the demons, the other a young woman who only wanted some company. I’d realized I’d be facing death very frequently once I fought my first enemy, but never had I thought I’d end up killing innocents. I briefly wondered if the act caused me to turn corrupt. </p><p> </p><p>It probably did.</p><p> </p><p>With another sigh, I resumed rowing, my sights fixed on Marae’s island. At least I’d finished her mission, maybe she’d be able to help me recover from all that had happened. Was it even possible to remove my corruption? I hoped she was capable of doing so; I had no desire to slowly turn into one of the very beings I was here to fight-</p><p> </p><p>Oh. Right, I’m not a champion. Almost forgot.</p><p> </p><p>Deep sigh.</p><p> </p><p>What do I even do now after this? There’s no meaning for me to be here anymore - I’m just another poor soul trapped in here along with the demons and their depravities. Maybe I should check out that city Whitney mentioned - Tel’Adre? I do know how to fight, maybe that could get me a job or something… I don’t know.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Thump. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>The sound of the boat hitting ground brought me out of my thoughts. I grunted as I pulled myself off onto the shore, turning to look at the tree - which oddly seemed a lot different now.</p><p> </p><p>Time to go see the tree goddess.</p><p> </p><p>~-~</p><p> </p><p>“....”</p><p> </p><p>I stared up in absolute despair and horror at the… thing, that had once been a chaste goddess aiming to save her world from the endless corruption and depravity of the demons. The now incredibly lewd-looking Marae blew me a kiss as she beckoned me to come closer, her massive breasts jiggling teasingly with every motion she made. </p><p> </p><p>“Hi there, stud! Do you like the new me?” she cooed, pushing forwards a bit further out from the trunk and wiggling her hips.</p><p> </p><p>I forced my growing arousal into a deep, dark place within myself and locked it away. “Marae… How… What hap- Why are you-”</p><p> </p><p>Words failed me as I still tried to make sense of the situation. The corrupt goddess simply giggled, seemingly understanding what I was trying to say. “Oh, you mean this?” she chirped, raising a breast to her mouth and sucking on a swollen nipple. “You- <em> mmmmph oh yes </em> - you shut down the factory, I could feel it in the ground, and I was so happy. Then I realized HOW you shut down the factory. I- <em> ahhh yes yes- </em>I could feel it seeping into my roots.” she explained, licking the last drops of her own milk from her breast before switching to the other.</p><p> </p><p>“I was so afraid, feeling that corruption flowing through the ground back to me. I promised myself I would kill you when you dared to show your face. But then- <em> sllllllpp- </em> then that warmth started flowing into me, and it just melted my anger and resolve. It filled me like there had been a hole inside of me that I never knew existed. I felt like I was whole again.” Marae switched to simply squeezing her breasts, jets of fresh corrupted milk streaming into her mouth where her tongue hungrily lapped it all up. A few drops of it dripped down onto the ground in front of her, and I fought the strange urge to go and lick it up.</p><p> </p><p>A tiny purple bud bloomed below her belly button, just above her junction with her tree. The petals unfurled, rapidly spreading out and forming a… was that a vagina?</p><p> </p><p>Marae reached down and brushed her fingers across the outer petals, cooing in delight. I glanced up to her eyes to find her practically beaming - she knew where I’d been looking.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t mind, I’d like you to watch,” she said as she began to masturbate in earnest. Nectar began dripping from the flower as she talked about her corruption. “I couldn’t help it, it was like lust was filling me up until there wasn’t room for anything else. I started groping my tits, feeling them grow heavy while I teased and pinched my nipples. I must have been like that for nearly an hour.” She let out a lusty moan as milk began to drip from her heavy teats once more, running down the curves of her body.</p><p> </p><p>“And when the runoff finally started washing into my lake, mmm, I just had to give myself a hot little honeypot. It felt so good to give in. I see why the demons do what they do. It isn’t evil, they just want to share this... this pleasure, with everyone and everything.” She raised her soaked fingers to her lips and began licking them, savoring the flavor of her own corrupt lust. I watched, equal parts mesmerized and horrified as she forced more and more fingers into her hungry flower-hole.</p><p> </p><p>“Ever since then, I’ve just been drinking in more and more corruption, waiting for someone to come here and help fill my hole. I’ve played with my flower for what has felt like days on end. Every time I come harder and harder. The more I let go the better it is. Do you know what I did this morning?” she asked, as vines that looked more like veiny tentacles began to unfurl from the leaves of her tree. One immediately plunged itself into her dripping flower, and I shakily took a step back as Marae let out another moan.</p><p> </p><p>“I let my branches grow tentacles to fuck my mouth and pussy at the same time. I came over and over and over, and then I had my roots pull in all the cum they could find to fill my womb with. It’s so good.” she told me, more and more tentacle-vines snaking their way down to her body. A few even began to turn towards me, and despite my brain screaming to run before it was too late, my feet were rooted to the ground in shock.</p><p> </p><p>“Come join me in it. I gave in to the pleasure already. If you look behind me, you can see what’s left of my soul. I could feel it dripping out through my cunny a little bit each time I came. After a while it flowed together and started to crystalize. Here, have a look for yourself.” A vine grasping a large pink crystal made its way over to me, and I dumbfoundedly took it in my hands.</p><p> </p><p>“I think the demons call it lethicite, but I just wish I still had a soul so I could do it all over again. Come fuck me, I want to watch you go mad while you cum out your soul.” Marae said, her arms outstretched and her vines slowly creeping towards me. I realized, then and there, that if she got ahold of me I would never want to leave her, and she would never let me go. I’d be stuck on this island forever, fucking the corrupt goddess for all eternity.</p><p> </p><p>Run. I had to run.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> ‘Run.’ </em>
</p><p> </p><p>My feet still wouldn’t move. My legs trembled as I barely managed to stay upright. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> ‘RUN.’ </em>
</p><p> </p><p>The vines got closer. A few split open at their ends, revealing maws resembling pussies. Lubricant dripped from their innards as they inched towards me.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>‘RUN.’</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>Was this how it was going to end? Locked in an endless cycle of intercourse with a goddess that I had unintentionally corrupted?</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>‘RUN BEFORE SHE GETS US BOTH, YOU IDIOT!’</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>In my dazed state, I no longer had the capability to find it weird that a second voice was speaking in my head. <em> “I can’t, my feet won’t fucking move!” </em> I screamed internally. </p><p> </p><p>There was a brief pause before the voice spoke again. <em> ‘Then let me help.’ </em> I felt a presence gently prodding at my mind, asking for entry. I let it pass, unable to understand what was going on.</p><p> </p><p>My legs jerked.</p><p> </p><p>My feet began to move on their own, pushing me away from the vines. Finally shaken out of my dazed state, I turned and ran for my life back to the boat. I expected to be tripped and dragged back to the corrupt goddess within seconds - but it never happened. A deep sigh came from behind me, and I looked back to see the vines retracting, with Marae looking at me with a disappointed expression. It didn’t last long however, for she was quick to resume her masturbating show. </p><p> </p><p>Lewd slurps and sucking sounds filled the air as I practically dumped myself into the boat and frantically began rowing away from the doomed island.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Whitney's dead, Marae's corrupted - and it's all thanks to him. Syrin is slowly but surely descending into madness as the story progresses. Will he ever get a break from all the shit that is happening to him?</p><p>Who knows. Stay tuned for more, folks.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Redemption</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Bleurrrghh!’</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Clumps of half-digested sludge decorated the shoreline as I emptied out my stomach onto the sand. With not much to take out to begin with, soon all that came out was gagged rasps as I continued to dry-heave.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Too much. It was too much for me to handle.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I’d expected to live a life battling against the evil demonic forces that plagued this land when I first came here. Reality could not be any different than what I had assumed. I’d nearly been taken prisoner by an imp the moment I arrived, caused a young woman to hang herself, discovered I was never a Champion to begin with, killed an innocent victim of the demons to save my own life, and worst of all - I’d finished the work of the demons’ factory, the very thing I had been sent to destroy. The goddess of this land was now one of them, and it was all my fault.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everything was my fault. I’d caused nothing but trouble since I got here. I should never have been here in the first place. I should’ve just let the imp take me - at least that would mean Whitney would still be alive and Marae, despite slowly being corrupted, would still be herself. Too little, too late.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Why was I even still alive? What purpose did I even have to live anymore?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Should I just kill myself and end all of this?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I managed to stand up, staggering over to a large rock and sitting with my back against it. I unsheathed my knife, looking at the gleam of the blade and the sunlight reflecting off the metal for a while before making my decision.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yes. I should just end it here and now. I’d only make things worse if I lived any longer. Better to off myself than to go around ruining even more lives.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m sorry, Dad. For using your gift for something like this.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I held the knife with both hands, angling the blade towards my heart. I probably wouldn’t die instantly, and death would come painfully slow - but I accepted it. It would serve well as punishment for all the things I’d done in this land. I deserved it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I took a deep breath, looking out over the lake and the doomed island in its midst - and plunged the blade deep into my chest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>...Or, at least I tried to. I was once again stunned to find my limbs firmly frozen in place, the blade quivering about an inch away from my fur as my hands trembled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The fu-?” I said aloud as I tried once again to stab myself. Again the blade stopped just short of its target. My arms trembled as I attempted to apply more strength into them, only to find I simply couldn’t. It wasn’t like an unseen force was externally keeping them in place, more like - like something was actively countering my efforts to move my muscles. I tried one last time, with nearly everything I had, and managed to make the blade stop a half-inch away instead.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I hurled the knife away and screamed in frustration. I couldn’t even end my life on my own terms in this damned world.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Would you kindly stop trying to kill yourself?’</span>
  </em>
  <span> came a familiar voice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I stopped screaming and looked around, panting. A few moments later I realized it was coming from my own mind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘Who are you?’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Not even surprised from having a second voice in your head? Impressive.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘I’ve already gone through this when I saw Whitney’s corpse, I could care less about a voice in my head. Answer the damn question.’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Very well. To put it bluntly, I am you. To be specific, a darker side of you, that is.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘A dark side of me?’ I laughed, not even caring anymore. ‘Alright, when did you come into existence? When the imp fed me the potion? When Lenora turned me into… what I am right now? When I saw that Whitney had hung herself? When was it?’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘I was part of you long before you came to Mareth. What created me, no, what would eventually</span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em> become</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> me was born the day you learned your parents were murdered. To put it simply, I am the result of your thirst for revenge that has been brewing inside your heart for a decade.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘If you’ve been with me for a decade, why is it just now that you’re talking to me? And back there, when Marae was about to get me. That was you, wasn’t it? Why did you help me?’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘As I’ve said before, I </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>am</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> you. I am not a separate personality that is inhabiting the same body as you do. It is literally impossible to talk to yourself as you would a separate individual.’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>the voice replied.</span>
  <em>
    <span> ‘ However, since you joined this world, you’ve been exposed to many traumatic events and learned things that have shaken your mindset. </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>Your sanity is wavering, Syrin.</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> I used to be nothing more than just a darker side of you, but thanks to the unfortunate turn of events I am now partially broken off from your main logical processes. That is what enables this conversation as well.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘As for your second question.’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>it continued. </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘Simple. I do not wish to die. If you die, I will die as well.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘...what should I call you?’ I finally said after a while of silence.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Normally, we would have the same name. But I suppose calling me Syrin would be a tad strange, is it not?’</span>
  </em>
  <span> the voice answered. </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘You may call me Shade.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘Okay, Shade. What do I do now, then? I have no purpose, no reason to live anymore. I don’t know what to do!’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Did you have a reason to live when you were born?’</span>
  </em>
  <span> Shade retorted. </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘If you no longer have a reason to live, then go make one. Try and take care of Whitney’s farm like she offered in her will. Go check out that Tel’Adre city. Talk to Amily about how your situation has changed. There’s a lot of things that you can do right now, Syrin, but taking your own life is </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>NOT</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> one of them, you hear me? Your life is valuable, don’t go throwing it away like that </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>ever again</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>!’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>he snarled, causing me to flinch.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I sighed in defeat. ‘...Fine. I guess I’ll go talk to Amily first.’ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I stood up and retrieved my knife first; luckily, it was unscathed from my throw. I then retrieved my things, getting ready to start moving again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Make sure to take that Lethicite as well.’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>Shade chimed in. </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘It’s a very powerful item, since it was made from the soul of a goddess.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Heeding his advice, I stooped down and picked up the pinkish crystal from the sand as well. I’d kept it in my hands as I ran from Marae, and during all the chaos I guess I forgot to throw it away. I examined the glowing object, taking note of its faint glow and the slight warmth I felt from the points of contact. It was about the size of a large potato, slightly bigger than my fist. It had to be an item of great power for sure, but there was no way this thing wouldn’t corrupt me. Still, it couldn't hurt to bring it along. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it, right?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hesitantly, I dropped the crystal into my pack and set off, searching for the rotten pathway to Amily’s village.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was nearly sunset by the time I reached the gates of the ruined village. The rotten boards creaked under my feet as I stepped over them, making my way through the entrance. I stopped at the first house near the entrance, looking around to see if I could spot her first.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Amily! You here? It’s me, Syrin!” I called out, hoping she’d hear me. My new ears swiveled around snapping on to every sound they detected, and I fought to keep them under control. Great hearing didn’t really seem that good when I had to deal with things like this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>Just as I got the twitching to die down, my left ear pricked up again as it picked up a soft </span><em><span>pat-pat</span></em><span> of someone walking across the dirt ground.</span> <span>I turned to face the direction it came from - but there was no one there. “Amily?” I said, unsure of who I’d heard. “That you?”</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Different direction.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I spun around, catching the glimpse of a shadow as it ducked behind the ruins of a house. My sharpened eyesight caught the end of a tail as it disappeared, confirming that it was indeed her. Why was she avoiding me?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Amily?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wait… was it because I no longer looked like-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Pshhhht.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A prickling sensation on my neck.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My fingers returned the presence of a dart.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I stumbled, turning to see the mouse-girl staring at me from a distance away. Already I could feel my body shutting down from the effects of the dart. “Amily…” I gasped, reaching out a hand to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She took a step back in response and raised her blowpipe again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Amily, it’s- it’s me-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was all I managed to say before I blacked out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uuuunnggghhhh…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My vision swam in circles as I slowly regained consciousness. I could just about make out a flickering flame in front of me - but even with my enhanced eyesight, that was all I could see for now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Systems check.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Head - hurts. Massive headache.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eyes - vision slowly returning. I think I’m in one of the ruined houses.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ears - Rebooting. Can’t hear jack right now. Wait - there we go. Sounds are back, and now my ears hurt as well. Nice.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Arms/Legs - Feels like they turned into mush, though slowly improving. Can’t move. What’s going on? Oh, I’m tied up. Great.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I managed to roll myself into a sitting position, putting my back against one of the walls. With that done I tried putting some force into the ropes, to see if I could get out of them. However, even with my strength slowly returning, they merely strained a little. I wasn’t really in the best position to be doing this - with your hands tied to your ankles there’s very little you can do. Especially if you can’t even see your hands.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s no use, stranger. Those ropes can hold a minotaur in place.” came a familiar voice. I looked up to see Amily walk out of the shadows, holding my knife. She stared at me blankly with her eyes full of suspicion and anger.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now listen here, and listen closely. The only reason you’re still alive is because you’re not one of </span>
  <em>
    <span>them</span>
  </em>
  <span>. That can change very quickly depending on what you say. Understand?” she questioned, her tone giving off a ‘no-bullshit’ vibe. I nodded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why-” she crouched down and tapped the blade against my neck. “-did you have this knife on you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I chuckled internally at her question. She wouldn’t believe me even if I told her the truth, would she? It’s not like I have a choice though, not with a knife at my neck. Here goes nothing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Because it’s mine, Amily.” I said, taking note of how her eyes hardened at my answer. “I’m Syrin, the friend you guided to the demon factory a few days ago. It’s me… please, believe me, I can’t prove it to you other than answering questions of whatever you know about me.” I dropped my head as I finished, not wanting to see how she’d react to that. Kill me, probably.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘Well, I tried. Any ideas, Shade? I’m open to all suggestions right now.’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silence. Looks like I’m on my own here.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“....”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The silence continued for a few seconds before I felt the cold metal slowly nudging my head up. I looked up again to see Amily gazing at me with an unintelligible expression.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If it’s really you, then only the real you will know the answer to this. When we first met, I asked a favor of you, and you refused. What was that favor?” she asked, her grip on the knife unwavering.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Clever question. An imposter would have had a hard time with that. Fortunately, I was no imposter, and I knew the answer to her question. “...You asked me to help you revive your people. I refused because I didn’t want to take advantage of you, and also because I didn’t want to be used as a sperm dispenser.” I said, my eyes never leaving hers.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well, this was it. If she still believed I wasn’t myself, at least I’d tried everything I could to convince her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“....” She raised the knife in response. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I closed my eyes, accepting what was about to happen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It never came, though. Instead I suddenly found my hands were now free.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry about that, Syrin. But you owe me a very detailed explanation now.” Amily said as she finished untying the rest of my binds. “Starting with why you are a wolf-morph, and what happened at the factory.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure you want to listen to it here? I wouldn’t say this place is exactly safe.” I retorted, getting up and taking a few shaky steps. Man, whatever was in that dart is really good at its job.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...Good point. Come on, follow me. Let’s go back to my place.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I dumped some dirt onto the fire as I followed her, killing the flames.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I stayed silent as I followed the mouse-girl down a narrow passage that was well hidden inside the overgrowth. At first I’d thought she was simply walking into a random spot of the bushes, but when she reached back out and pulled me in I realized it was actually a path. The entrance was spotless; I would never have found it without her leading me. For a girl who was living alone, Amily certainly had things under tight control.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“…Did you create this path yourself as well?” I asked, trying to break the unnerving silence.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes and no.” Amily said. “I was trying to find some place to live after deciding the village was still too dangerous when I stumbled upon this path by accident. It was nearly overrun with wildlife, so I cleared it out as I went and eventually reached the cove at the end. It seemed someone had once lived there, but since the path was in that condition I guess they moved on.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>We reached what seemed like a dead end, but she brushed away some tall grass to the side – revealing another hidden path. “I sometimes wonder what happened to whoever was before me – like whether they’re still alive, for starters. Where are they living now? Did they get taken by the demons? Will I ever know?” she laughed. “Of course I won’t. Still, it’s a good way to spend my time when I’m not busy running, scavenging or setting up traps. Living all the way out here alone isn’t exactly an easy business, you know.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess that’s one more thing we have in common.” I remarked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmm?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You remember when you spent the night at my place, the space hidden inside the rocks?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, why?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It used to belong to another Champion of my village, named Excellia. I found a letter from her when I first discovered the place. She said the hideout was mine to use if I needed, and that she wished me good luck on my journey.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh.” Amily replied. “What happened to her, then? Did you ever meet her in person?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“…According to the letter, if a Champion like me was reading it then it meant she had failed. She asked me to kill her if I ever came across whatever she had become.” I said grimly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She went quiet at my answer, and the rest of our trip continued in silence.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, we’re here.” Amily said, setting down her things on a flat rock. “It’s not much, but welcome to my cove.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I sat down on a rock as well, giving my legs some much needed rest while I took a look around. It really wasn’t much – just a small beach with some rocky outcroppings and a pool of water that led out to… the sea? I had no idea. At least it didn’t smell like sex around here, so it wasn’t connected to that damned lake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A large section of the cove had a rocky ledge serving as a roof of sorts, providing cover from the elements. There was a pile of furs and hides piled against the wall under the ledge, and I assumed it served as her bed. “Did she hunt for those furs?” I thought as the mouse-girl sat down on the ‘bed’, patting down some wrinkles before turning her attention to me. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So,” she said. “What happened after I left you at the factory?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I winced as I recalled the events that had transpired at that cursed place. The things I’d seen and done there… I would likely never forget it for the rest of my life.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, the room right behind the front door was empty, but there was a succubus in the room next to it…” I began.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“…and so after I made my way back to the island, I found that the method I’d used to disable the factory had only completed the work of the demons.” I explained, the retelling of events not really helping with my mental issues. “When I saw Marae again, she was- she- she…” I sputtered, the memory of looking at her new sexualized form causing my mind to blank out. For that brief moment, I was back there on the cursed island, watching on in a mixture of horror and arousal as the corrupt goddess made love to herself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A soft hand rested gently on my own, and I snapped out of the trance. “She was corrupted, wasn’t she?” Amily asked quietly, her face a mixture of… I couldn’t really tell. She’d gone completely silent after I told her about Lenora, and I had no idea what she thought of me when I told her about the girl I’d killed. For my sake, I left out the part about Whitney. I didn’t have the heart to tell her about it – especially when I’d just told her that I had killed an innocent victim.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I was crying. Since when had I been crying? “Yes,” I choked out. She… she was no longer herself. Her tree was just a mass of tentacles that she used to masturbate with, and she- she tried to make me like her as well. I managed to get away, and then I threw up on the beach, and then I- I tried to- I tried to-“ </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I couldn’t take it anymore. The guilt I’d so carefully managed to clamp down on had been released as I told her what I’d gone through, and it was eating away at my conscience now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You’re a murderer.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You don’t deserve to live.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You should go kill yourself.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Murderer. </span>
  </em>
  <span> “…-rin.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Murderer.</span>
  </em>
  <span>  “Syrin.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Syrin!” Amily’s shout – and the slap it came with – broke my trance once more. I blinked, raising a hand to the place she’d struck. It didn’t even hurt. The only thing that had registered was that something had made contact for a brief moment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She hit me. Why did she hit me?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She hated me as well, didn’t she? Because I’d killed innocent people and did the work of the demons for them? Because I was no better than them? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Syrin.” A hand made its presence known resting against my cheek, and the sensation of the soft fur made me look up at the mouse-girl. “You don’t deserve to die because of what you did.” She said, taking my hands into hers. “You did what you thought was the right thing to do, and that’s really the only thing you should think about. You never knew that overloading the pumps would cause Marae to go corrupt. You never knew that even with the machinery gone, the captured girls wouldn’t come back to normal. As for the one you killed, well… did you have a choice?” she asked, her eyes never leaving mine.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You had to kill her to get out of there, Syrin. Acts of self-preservation, even if they result in death of others, aren’t something you should feel guilty over. I’ve killed more than I can keep track of as I survived through my years, and not all of them were demons. I don’t feel any guilt from my actions; you shouldn’t either. You did the right thing, Syrin. You should feel good about yourself. To me, you are still the best person I have ever met. And after all I’ve heard from you… I think you need this.” she finished, as she threw her arms around me in a tight hug.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I was stunned by the sudden transpiration of events. I’d been trying to process what she had said when she hugged me – what was it? That I did the right thing? I wasn’t a bad person?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Did she really mean that?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay, Syrin.” Her voice and the warmth of her body pressed against mine brought me out of my thoughts. “I’m here for you. I’ll always be here for you.” Amily spoke quietly into my ear. “Don’t give up on yourself. Stay strong, like the time we first met. You did the right thing.” she repeated.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I… I did the right thing.</span>
  </em>
  <span> I thought, my arms slowly rising to hug her back as I accepted the fact.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The warmth and presence of someone embraced in my limbs was something I never knew I needed. But as the two of us sat there hugging the other without any words, I realized just how much I had missed this simple interaction. I felt the guilt, the depression and trauma from all I’ve been through slowly fade away as my mental wounds slowly began to heal from Amily’s support. It was like the weight of the world had been lifted from my shoulders – like my life had begun anew at this moment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And right then and there, I knew how I was going to spend the rest of my life in this world.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Amily?” I asked, the single word the first thing any of us had said in a while.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Does your offer still stand?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her face morphed into a bright smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Syrin. Yes it does.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Syrin finally gets some emotional support and a nice hug! :D</p><p>Yeah, too bad he's going to lose all of that very soon. Can't have happiness in Mareth.</p><p>See you in the next chapter, folks.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Downfall</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Confusion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Awkwardness.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Those two feelings, aside from the newfound happiness, pretty much summed up my new life after I joined Amily in her quest to repopulate her people. I had just barely entered my twenties - all I knew was how to fight and exercise, and some basic healing techniques. I had zero experience on how to be a father, and I was </span>
  <em>
    <span>absolutely</span>
  </em>
  <span> not ready to start raising multiple kids of my own.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When I told Amily how I felt about the whole matter, she simply laughed and asked me if I thought she knew how to be a mother. After giggling at my stammered reply, she pulled me into a loving kiss, placing my hands on her swelling belly. “Don’t worry, Syrin.” she’d said. “I know it won’t be easy, but we’ll get through it together. Besides, children grow up really quickly in this world. After our first litter, we’ll have extra hands helping us.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was another thing I’d discovered about this place - pregnancy and maturity progressed over a dozen times faster than it would back in Ingnam. Where a normal baby would take around nine months to be born, here in Mareth my mousy lover was nearly ready to give birth after only two weeks since our first night together. When I noticed her belly was growing bigger after two days, I’d asked her if she was gaining weight. I think I’ll never forget the expression she had on her face at that moment. Heh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey Syrin, can you come help me with this?”</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, duty calls.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>End convenient flashback.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I walked into the kitchen to find the heavily-pregnant mouse girl trying to move a pot of soup onto the table and failing thanks to her swollen midsection. The weight of the pot caused her to lean back to balance herself, but if she did that the pot would come into contact with her belly. So here she was, probably trying to figure out how to move the thing while not getting burned before finally calling for me. She had a habit of trying to do everything herself, one that persisted even after her pregnancy visibly began hindering her movement.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Amily, I said I’d help with anything you need. Why do you keep putting yourself in danger like this?” I asked her, hefting the pot up and moving it onto the table. Mmm, whatever she’d cooked up this time sure smelled good.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know… it’s just that I don’t like feeling weak, okay? I used to take care of everything myself for years, and now that I’m not able to do that, well…” She trailed off.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I cracked a small smile at her reply. “I know this is strange for you, but you have to let me help with things like this. We’re in this together, remember?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sighed in response. “I’m sorry, Syrin. I shouldn’t put my pride over the safety of our children, but sometimes I just get angry at myself when I fail to do simple tasks like this when I used to kill dozens of demons before without a problem…” I took the brief moment of silence to pour a bowl of soup for both of us.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, how long do you think you have left until your due date?” I asked, changing the topic.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The mouse-girl brightened up at the question. “Oh, I was just about to tell you about that!” she chirped, my attempt evidently successful. “I think I only have a few days left, maybe two at most. I can feel them moving around in there, and they’re definitely very healthy. I think it’s two girls and a boy, though obviously I can’t prove it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s exactly the opposite of what I thought.” I said, taking a spoonful of my bowl. “I thought it would be two boys and a girl.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I guess we’ll find out soon, huh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I nodded. “That we will, Amily. That we will.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rest of our meal continued in silence until I decided to change to a more serious topic.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know, I’ve been thinking.” I said, finishing my bowl and putting it away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“About what?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I sat back in my chair and let out a sigh. “This whole… reviving your people thing. Do you have any long-term plans for it, since the short-term goal has already been achieved?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean, Syrin?” Amily asked, confusion evident on her face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, let me put it this way.” I said, getting up from my seat. “In a year we will probably have dozens of our children around here, forming a colony of sorts. But for them to follow in your footsteps and do what you are doing right now, they will have to make children of their own.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay?” </span>
  <span></span><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“The problem with </span>
  <em>
    <span>that, </span>
  </em>
  <span>Amily, is that all of them will be related to each other!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“....”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So I can’t help but think that in a few years, this place will be full of brothers married to their sisters, and then cousins married to other cousins and what other kinds of incest that will eventually occur in this place. Who knows, somewhere along the line we might even have a son fucking his own mother!” I said, collapsing back into my seat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know, Syrin, I actually did think of that when I made up my mind to resurrect my kind. Long before I even met you.” she finally replied, after a moment of silence.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...You did?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes. And while it wasn’t a pleasant one, I came to the conclusion that I would have to accept it, no matter what happens between my children. We don’t have any other choice, Syrin. What do you want to do, then? Even if we forbid them from doing any sexual things with each other, sooner or later it will happen when one of them decides their lusts are more important than anything else.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“....”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I tried, and I really </span>
  <em>
    <span>tried,</span>
  </em>
  <span> to consider every possibility of what might happen when our kids grow up, Syrin. And if I have to choose the lesser evil, I’d say that having incest run in the family is much better than one of them going out and fucking a demon, or worse, join them. Do you have any idea what might happen if the demons find out about this place?” she asked, sadness evident in her eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...Is this really the only way we can do this?” I muttered, burying my face in my hands.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Syrin, we’re already very lucky that we get to live in an area that the demons don’t know about. Many others of this world don’t share the same luxury. Compared to what happened to most of them, some taboo is a small price to pay for this. It’s awful, I know that. But it’s the only choice we have. I’m sorry.” The last part was choked out, and I realized what was about to happen.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...I- I’ll go back out to work.” I stood up, trying not to look at Amily’s face. I knew she was crying, and I hated looking at her crying. “I’ll try to stay close to the house, call for me if you need help again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Don’t forget your weapons.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ah yes, my ever-supportive companion. Doesn’t give a fuck about the general vibe or my feelings, only that I’m always on guard and on the watch for any enemies. Even when I was on Whitney’s farmlands, where demons rarely showed up. I hadn’t seen a single one since Amily and I moved in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Deep sigh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I hoisted my sword onto my back, and my knife on my belt. I’d probably be wanting to throw them away by the time I was finished working, but it was better than having Shade remind me every few minutes that I didn’t have my weapons on me. When the only way to make him shut up was to kill myself - which he would stop me from doing anyway - I had very few other options than to just listen to him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I stepped out the door, trying to drown out Amily’s muffled sobs - and gazed out over the farmland at the crops that would soon be ready for harvest, according to Whitney’s notes. Such a beautiful place, secluded away from the depravities of the demons and whatever else lurked out there in the shadows of this world. And yet, even in here, we were unable to completely escape the effects of their actions. Our children would eventually end up copulating with each other, and despite the fact that I understood there was no other choice, it still left a bitter taste in my mouth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Deep sigh again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I walked up to the first row of crops and began my work, already regretting my choice of bringing my weapons along.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sun was just about to begin its descent towards the horizon when I decided I'd done enough for the day. I stood up straight and stretched my limbs,  letting out a grunt as my bones cracked. Man, I was tired.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I looked back at the house, looking for the light that Amily would put up when sunset approached - her way of telling me to come back inside.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It wasn't there.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That's strange…</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I squinted, trying to see if I'd missed it - but no, it truly wasn't there. She wasn't the kind of person to skip a task for herself, not without prior warning. It wasn't like her pregnancy prevented her from moving, either. So the only possible reason would be…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>...that something had happened to her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I dropped my tools, drawing my sword as I ran towards the house. </span>
  <b>"AMILY!"</b>
  <span> I shouted, hoping that she'd shout something back, something, anything - as long as it proved I was simply mistaken.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silence.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then, as I neared the house, I heard something that made my blood run cold.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shouts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Coming from inside.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And none of them were from Amily.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“AMILY!”</b>
  <span> I roared, not bothering to open the door and instead slamming my foot against it. Fractured wood pieces scattered everywhere as the door flew off its hinges, crushing an unfortunate imp as it fell to the floor. I ignored the crushed one, proceeding to thrust my sword through another's chest as I took in the situation.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Total of six imps, including the one trapped under the door and the one I just killed. Two were rummaging through our belongings, one was about to take out a knife and the last one was already charging at me. I responded by tossing the fresh corpse at his feet, causing him to trip over the sudden obstacle. He managed to catch himself on his arms before doing a faceplant, just as I stabbed him in his neck with my knife.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Two down. One incapacitated. Three enemies left.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The imp with the knife took flight, trying to come at me from above. I grabbed a pot and threw it at him, scoring a hit against his head. He fell to the floor, stunned from the blow as his two remaining buddies made their own move. One pulled out a potion as the other took out a rusty dagger, and the two imps began to circle around me. Unwilling to let them do as they planned, I grabbed the dazed imp and tossed him at the one with the potion. The potion dropped to the floor, knocked out of his hand upon contact - and both were promptly turned into ice statues.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I allowed myself one second of shock before getting back into the fight. Emotions could come later. Right now I was on full battle mode.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>'Right side!' </span>
  </em>
  <span>Shade yelled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The last remaining imp had managed to sneak around me while I'd been taking care of his buddy with the potion, and now I paid the price of allowing myself a second of shock - in the form of a dagger swiping across my right forearm. I hissed in pain as I grabbed his knife arm and swung him into the wall, the dagger falling from his grasp. He managed to get back up just as I snatched his weapon from the floor and buried it into his chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My hands dripped with red as the imp slumped to the ground with a raspy gurgle, blood spilling in copious amounts from where I’d stabbed him with his own weapon. I nudged him a few times, then with a firm grip, pulled the dagger out of him to make sure he was dead. A pool of crimson grew from his cooling corpse, and I looked at it for a few seconds before moving on.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘The one under the door is getting up.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sure enough, it seemed Door Imp had regained consciousness and was now trying to push the battered door off of himself. Too bad I wasn’t going to idly stand by while he did that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I set a foot on the door right above where his face would be. Then, with a grunt, I slammed down on it with as much weight as I could.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first stomp returned some unpleasant sounds and a shriek of pain from the trapped imp beneath. His arms flailed about, desperately trying to move the door off of him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The second and third had similar results, with the sounds increasing in volume and variety. Blood began to drip out from under the door.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>On the fourth stomp, there was a sickening </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘crunch’.</span>
  </em>
  <span> The imp stopped screaming. His arms fell limply to the floor.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I gave him one last stomp just to make sure. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Behind you!’</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I whirled around to face the doorway leading out of the kitchen, just as another imp fired a bolt at me from his crossbow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I immediately dove sideways, but his shot had already found its mark, pain erupting from my left arm as the bolt tore through the fur and lodged itself in the flesh. I yelled out in pain as I landed awkwardly on one leg, then grabbed the door off the floor as the imp tried to fire a second bolt. His shot went wide as I slammed the slab of wood into him, the sound of cracking ribs clearly audible. I began raining punches down onto his exposed head, keeping his arms firmly in place between the door and the wall. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The trapped demon sputtered and flailed about, attempting to escape from his confinement - but I wasn’t having any of that. With one last punch, I let the door clatter to the floor, letting the sudden lack of support cause the imp to fall forward. As he instinctively reached out his arms to break his fall, I wrapped my injured arm around his neck, grabbed his head with my good one, and twisted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Crrrrkkt.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The imp fell to the ground, his head now dangling limply at an odd angle. I kicked him aside and went for the crossbow he’d been using. It certainly wasn’t anything of good condition - judging from the cracks in the wood and the rusty metal, it was going to fall apart any moment soon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That didn’t matter. It should work just fine for the next shot. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I glanced at the bolt lodged in my arm, decided to leave it be - then picked up the second bolt from the floor, reloading the crossbow and ready to fire. Muffled screams continued from the bedroom at the end of the hall, and I stumbled towards the slightly jarred door. </span>
  <b>“AMILY!!” </b>
  <span>I shouted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A series of thumps and struggling sounds.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another imp rushed out into the hallway. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I fired, the bolt leaving the crossbow at a mighty speed - and sailed past the demon’s head, my inexperience with bows and the sudden movement throwing my aim off target. Without wasting a second, I flung the useless weapon at him instead.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Thwack.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The impact split his skull open, blood streaming down his head in droves as I proceeded to grab him by the neck and smash his face against the wall. He slid down the surface leaving a bloody trail, very much dead.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“SYRI</span>
  <b>-</b>
  <span> mmppph!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“AMILY!!”</b>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I burst through the door into the bedroom, ducking just in time as a knife sailed over my head. It flew past the hairs on the back of my neck, the blade digging into the wall behind me as I looked back up, my expression hardening at the sight that met my eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A burly imp - much larger and taller than the ones I’d killed - had Amily in a choke hold, grinning back at me as I stared at the state my lover was in. There were scratch marks all over her body, and several of them were bleeding. Her clothes were little more than torn rags, and- oh. Oh, oh gods…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Champ! Nice house you got here, huh?” the imp taunted, snapping my attention back to him as I seethed with fury. “Nice wife you got, too- she was a real feisty one! Put up a good fight even with a useless meatslab inside her belly. My boys and I had great fun fucking all of her holes inside out. Did you know she was an anal virgin? Bet you didn’t, heheh!” he snickered, pulling Amily’s head up and back as she let out another muffled scream. Black, ebony claws hovered over her exposed throat as I watched on, unable to make a move out of fear for her life.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now, on to business.” he stated, pressing the tips into her neck. “Drop the sword, or the bitch gets it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Right then and there, a distant memory informed me of who I was currently looking at.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Remember the name Zetaz, as you’ll soon face the wrath of my master!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Zetaz.” I hissed, hand still on my sword. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Can I move fast enough to get him before he gets her?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nice of you to show some respect, Champ! More of the morons around here should know that name, really.” he retorted, claws unwavering. “But enough talk. Drop the sword now, or your bitch is gonna have a new hole to suck her dicks through.” Drops of blood began to form on Amily’s neck as he squeezed for emphasis.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>No. I can’t.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seconds seemed like hours as I desperately looked for a way to save her. But even as I frantically ran through possible options to find something, anything - anything that would result in her alive, even if it required my own life - I saw Amily painfully lift her head up to look at me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Don’t.’</span>
  </em>
  <span> her eyes pleaded. </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘Don’t do it.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I grit my teeth as I shook my head no. I had no reason to live without her. I knew - I knew that if I dropped my sword there was nothing stopping Zetaz from simply killing us both. But if I didn’t, she would die right now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Also, I still had one thing he didn’t know about - my knife was stashed on my backside, where he couldn’t see it. If I could just distract him for a second…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fine.” I spat, and dropped my sword. It fell to the floor with a clang.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Slide it over here. No funny business, Champ.” Reluctantly, I obliged, kicking it in his direction. It slid to a stop at his feet, and I suddenly had an idea. If only he’d step on it, then maybe the metal would burn his foot…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fancy sword, huh? Where’d you get this, Champ?” he said, kicking the weapon away into a corner. I grimaced at the loss of opportunity, hand inching behind my back towards my knife.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Now or never.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know, it’s nice to see you’re smart enough to know when you should listen to the other guy, Champ.” Zetaz stated, shifting his stance. I kept a close eye on his movements, watching for the one moment he would let his guard down. He hadn’t noticed me grab my knife behind my back. If only something would make him look away for a moment…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Too bad you weren’t smart enough not to trust a demon’s word though.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What?</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And as I watched in horror, too slow to reach them in time, Zetaz swiped his claws over Amily’s throat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“NOOOOOOO!!!!”</em>
  </b>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Continued in Futility and Madness</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Futility and Madness</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Red.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Shouts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Screams.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Echoes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pain.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bits and pieces of information floated their way into my head as I tried to comprehend the situation.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Where was I? What was happening?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My eyes and ears continued their task flawlessly, sending their reports up to my brain for analysis. Brain, however, was on pause. Overloaded with something that took more time than it had to process. So the reports just kept piling up at the doorway, waiting to be let in whenever the door opened up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another scream.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pain, somewhere from… upper chest?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tears. Rolling down my face, it seems.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Why was I crying? Where were all these screams coming from?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oh yeah, I think I was fighting someone… but why was I fighting them?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>System reboot.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“-AAAAAARRHHGLLF-”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ears, check.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eyes?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Knife. It’s bloody. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There’s a hand holding it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Is that my hand? Oh, it is. Why is there so much blood on it?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wait, what am I- oh- oh gods- </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No, stop- that’s, that’s enough, stop it-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>YOU’RE CUTTING OFF HIS HEAD!!!</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>‘SYRIN, HE’S ALREADY DEAD!’</em>
  </b>
  <span> Shade roared in my mind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh?” I mumbled, as I finally came to my senses. “What am I…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then I remembered what had happened.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The fight through the house.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The confrontation with Zetaz.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>...</span>
  <em>
    <span>Amily.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“AMILY!” I screamed, rushing to her side. I knew - even from the slightest glance - that the wound Zetaz had inflicted was fatal. Blood was still pouring out of her neck, even as I frantically pressed my hands down on it to try and stem the flow. Unfinished bits of words and gibberish came spilling out of my mouth as I continued my futile attempt to save her dwindling life.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I knew that it was utterly useless. She had a gaping neck wound. There were no doctors in this land that I knew of, and there was absolutely no way I would get her to one in time if they even existed. Her face was already deathly pale. But I had no other choice than to keep pressing my hands down on the bloody laceration, hoping, grasping at that nonexistent chance - that somehow, just maybe, she would survive. She’d get back up with a smile, we’d clean up the house and go back to our normal life.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kkkkkllhh…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My eyes shot up to Amily’s at the sound to see her staring back up at me. She opened her mouth, and tried to say something - but it was no use. The air kept escaping through the hole in her neck, and all that came out was a series of broken hissing sounds.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, don’t. Just focus on breathing. You’ll be okay, I promise.” I told her, tears running down my cheeks. A few drops fell onto the floor, making tiny spotted islands in the pool of red. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>We both knew that promise was one I couldn’t keep.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tears formed on Amily’s eyes as well, even as her skin took on a ghastly white tone and became noticeably cold to the touch. Despite my words, she repeatedly tried to say whatever it was she had to say - only to be met with similar results. I continued my efforts at stopping the bleeding - even after tearing off my shirt and pressing it against the wound, the blood wouldn’t stop. The entire bundle of clothing had already turned a sickening crimson hue.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A finger glanced against my thigh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I looked up to Amily again. She’d given up on trying to talk, and was now trying to raise her hand with visible effort. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, Amily, don’t-” I said, just as she managed to lift a bloodied hand to my cheek with a strained cry of agony. I grabbed it with my own hand just as it began to drop. I held it against my face as she, with pain evident in her expression, rubbed her fingers against my fur.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then she smiled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In a growing pool of her own blood, with holes in her neck and a severed artery, she smiled up at me as tears ran down her face to contribute to the pool of body fluids. I choked back my own tears and sobs as I forced a smile of my own to her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She rubbed her fingers against the fur of my cheek again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a beautiful moment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then I felt it. The loss of control in her hand and fingers as the muscles began losing power. Her arm began to droop.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, Amily, no, no, NO!” I shouted. “Please don’t die, </span>
  <b>NO!</b>
  <span>” I propped her upright with an arm and tilted her head to face me. “Please, please, please… please Amily, don’t die, no, no, gods please no…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was my one last reason to live in this world. She was the support keeping me standing upright. She was my link to a new life, to a new family, to forgive myself for my actions. I would lose whatever was left of my sanity if I lost her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I grabbed her head and looked straight into her eyes, knowing I would not get another chance to look at them. Her brown orbs stared back at my blue ones, holding on to the remainder of their life as best as they could.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then they lost their light.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The now soulless body lost all of its remaining strength. Her weight began pulling me down as gravity tugged it to the ground.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“No, no, no, NOOO!!” </b>
  <span> I screamed, clinging to her head like it was a lifeline. “Wake up, WAKE UP! Please, Amily, get up, please… no, please no…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was useless. She was already dead.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please, Amily, please get up…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I was talking to a corpse. There was no one alive here but myself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“NOOOOOOOO!!!”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Screaming would not change the facts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHH!!!”</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>From some point on I kept on screaming.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The walls of the doomed farmhouse rang with silent cries as they echoed the screams of their only inhabitant back to me.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm sorry about the very long delay - a lot of you probably thought I'd abandoned this one too. The truth is I really couldn't figure out how to nail this chapter which is a conclusion of sorts for this story arc. Eventually I got sick of wrapping my head around the story and gave up for a while. But I really wanted to get this story done, so I tried and made a draft, which ended up as this. I hope you find it satisfactory.</p><p>Continued in Epilogue : Welcome to Insanity</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Epilogue : Welcome to Insanity</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Syrin finally breaks down and loses all sanity he has left.<br/>Warning : This chapter is dark af. You have been warned.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Darkness.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silence.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Emptiness.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maybe I should have been feeling those things. That it was now dark, incredibly quiet, and chillingly empty inside my own soul.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But the time for such things had long since passed. I didn’t feel a single thing anymore. Not even when I tore out the bloody crossbow bolt that had been lodged in my arm for some time by this point. Not even when blood began to spill down from the freshly opened wound.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amily’s corpse, however, was different. It made me feel… a variety of emotions. First came a burst of happiness, from the fact that I was indeed still capable of feeling emotions. Then came grief and guilt that I had felt happy from looking at her corpse. Then came sadness from her loss… and then rage. Burning fury at the demons that had taken my only reason to live. But soon even that anger, along with the prior emotions, washed away like leaves in the wind. Soon all that was left was the icy coldness of my own soul. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, Amily.” I whispered, as I closed her eyes for her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She didn’t even get to close her eyes before dying. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Poor girl. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She didn’t deserve any of this. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> deserved it - deserved everything else and so much more. But apparently even death was not enough of a punishment for me, because the world decided to take my lover instead of myself. This was my punishment, wasn’t it? For thinking that I deserved to live a happy life? For even daring to think I could be forgiven for all the things that I’d done?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>...For pretending to be a lovable person, when in reality I was just a monster?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Because I <em>was</em> a monster. I’d killed innocents. I’d made a woman who loved me hang herself. I’d sent a chaste goddess to her doom and made her fall from grace. Fuck, I wasn’t even human anymore. I let out an empty chuckle as I looked at my very non-human body.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Fine. If this was how I would be punished for denying what I was, then I would fully embrace it. I would take on the identity of the monster I was - a bloodthirsty killer, always hungering for the next victim. I would hunt down anything that moved and smile as I extinguished its pathetic life. Set fire to everything and laugh as I watched it burn.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I was going to tear the world down, one life at a time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I picked up my knife and sword, brushing away the dried blood on the blades. Zetaz’s decapitated head caught my attention, and I stared at it for a few seconds before a mad grin slowly spread across my face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I raised my sword, pausing only briefly before slamming it down on the body part. A sickening crunch met my ears, along with pieces of bone and gore flying everywhere. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My grin widened. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I brought down the blade again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I was already looking forward to the first life I would claim. What would their necks feel like as I crushed them between my hands? What would their expressions look like when I make them watch as I kill their friends and family one at a time in front of them? What would their screams sound like when I set fire to their houses with them still inside?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The head was little more than a bloody pulp of bone fragments and disintegrated brain bits now. I stepped through the doorway, into the hallway where I’d used the crossbow to smash open an imp’s skull. I picked it up again, discovering it was caked in dried blood. There was also a large crack going through the wood making up most of its frame. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I didn’t care one bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I raised the broken weapon high over my head, the crazed smile never leaving my expression as I brought it down again and again onto the dead imp. The cracks grew and branched out with each impact, eventually encompassing the entire crossbow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then the entire weapon broke apart into pieces on a particularly hard swing. I grabbed both halves and slammed them sharp-side first into the corpse, starting to laugh as I was met with a satisfying </span>
  <em>
    <span>squelch</span>
  </em>
  <span> and black droplets of blood spraying everywhere. A good portion found its way on my body as well, staining it a sickening dark hue. I didn’t care. The important part was that my broken, depraved mind was finding the act incredibly amusing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And so I continued laughing, making my way into the bloodied kitchen. I grasped the two frozen imps in both arms, slamming them together and watching in awe as I was showered in the resulting wave of ice shards. Pricks of pain came as tingles from all over my body as some embedded themselves in my skin, drawing drops of blood. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I ignored the pain as I picked up their sacks and began rummaging through them. Within a few seconds I’d found what I was looking for - clear glass orbs, with strange liquid sloshing around inside. The firebombs that I was now so very familiar with. They would do the job perfectly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Stepping over the broken door and through the front doorway, I gave the farmhouse one last look before stepping outside and tossing the first firebomb over my shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It burst into flames instantly, casting a long shadow of myself onto the ground in front of me. In fact, it was so effective that I could feel the fur and skin on my back starting to burn. I’d thrown it too close to myself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was fine.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Pain was good. Pain was very good.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was now the only thing I could feel anyway.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Resuming my walk into the night, I threw the rest of the firebombs behind me one at a time. I watched with glee each flash of light as they exploded into flames against the walls of the house. It didn’t take long for the fire to spread to the other rooms, encompassing the entire building. Soon the entire dwelling was a blazing inferno, likely visible to anyone who had a working eye in this darkness.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I stopped and turned around, looking at the fire that was rapidly devouring what had used to be my home. Parts of the roof began collapsing as the support beams started losing their strength, serving only to feed more air to the flames inside. I watched with the same mad grin from before as cracks began to form on the walls, the house starting to disintegrate as the flames reached ever higher into the skies.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Soon they would be coming to check out the fire.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I couldn’t wait to find out what their screams of agony sounded like.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Please do bother to read the AN(Author's Note) that will come after this chapter.</p><p>If you don't want to, just wait until the second new chapter comes out. :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Author's Note 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <strong>Intermission</strong>
  </span>
  <strong> : <span class="u">Author's Note 1</span></strong>
</p><hr/><p>Well, hello there.</p><p>It's been a while since I've written once of those, hasn't it?</p><p>Probably because I took way too much time finishing Arc 1. I'm sorry about that. College life sucks(and so does writer's block).</p><p>Also, I noticed that it seems nobody really reads this story anymore. That's fine - I don't really care how many views this gets, I'm writing this story purely because I want to.</p><p>I'm guessing that the lack of actual smut is probably the biggest reason why the older version has almost twice the amount of views than this one. The fact that this one is also dark as fuck is probably a factor as well. I might try adding smut back into the story, but that's a big maybe. I've realized I don't really like writing smut(it makes me feel weird when I go over what I've written, and it's made me wonder if this is what pornstars feel if they ever watch their own videos.), and it's questionable whether what I wrote in the older version was even decent. But hey, at least the storyline in this one is much better! (personal opinion)</p><p>Speaking of which, let's move on to 'serious' talk. The older version of CoC : TC focused more on the sexual side of CoC, mainly because it started purely on a whim and I was your average horny teenager(still am, except I'm older now xd). I had no prior experience writing any stories, and so aside from the sex scenes the quality of the story itself was subpar at best. I didn't like this - I'm the kind of person who won't show their work unless it's at least at a presentable state. So in this version of CoC : TC, I focused more on the corruption side of CoC and put more effort and thought into the actual storyline. Syrin's interactions with various characters, relationships and how they would end up were carefully(at least more than the old version) considered and revised to make sure there would be no one-off characters like Jojo and Rathazul. For this story arc none of them ended well, but all of them do have some sort of character development and meaningful interaction with the MC.</p><p>Amily was first hostile towards Syrin when they first met, but ended up being impressed by his refusal to her offer. As they go through more interactions and indulge in various conversations she comes to admire him for his spirit and determination, which blossoms into a sort of love after he eventually ends up joining her. Sadly, she dies when the demons finally discover Whitney's farm(which she and Syrin were living in) and Zetaz slashes her throat open. In a way, this is also her final interaction with Syrin, for her death is the last straw for him and he finally snaps.</p><p>Whitney first saw Syrin as a good friend, until she got to know him a little more and immediately fell for him. Her history of having lost both parents and then growing up alone was both a deliberate choice and an attempt to make it lore-friendly; in the actual CoC game, unlike Urta or Amily, Whitney will never talk about her family in any way. The loss of both parents and the consequent loner life took a heavy toll on the dog-woman, for she is obviously craving of company. She is quick to offer food and even a place to stay to a total stranger(Syrin), and then even tells him he can stay whenever he wants. For whoever might have found this odd, this is why - she's already fallen for him and wants him to stay as much as possible now. It's also why she asks him to stay for lunch after stitching his arm, though I made that pretty obvious in that scene. Eventually she confesses her feelings to Syrin, but he chooses his duty over her love and leaves. Unable to deal with another loss, she hangs herself. </p><p>Marae... well, there's not much to write about her. I added a few scenes like where I put in my own explanation of the origins of the beautiful shining sword(and why the tree dies when you pull it out), but other than that I mostly followed the in-game storyline of her scenes.</p><p>Nomur - Now this is an interesting one. Unlike the game's lore and the older version of this story, Elder Nomur makes an appearance as a 'good' character. He is explained to have been Syrin's godfather after both of his parents were killed in a mysterious fire. His interactions with Syrin - along with some storytelling - are revealed in convenient flashbacks. But his story is not so simple. Stay tuned, folks - for his role in this story is far from over. There's lots more to come from him.</p><p>Now, a little about the future of the story, along with Arc 2!</p><p>I'm serious when I say I have an actual storyline planned out, so unless something happens to me that makes me unable to write anymore, there is a very low chance that this story will get abandoned as well. It might just take a long time, but I <em>will</em> finish this story so don't worry about that. On to talking about Arc 2!</p><p>Arc 1 ended with our poor MC finally having lost his mind, torching everything from his past life and walking off into the night. He's out to kill every living thing he comes across - and kill he will. Arc 2's intro will start with him slaughtering a group of... not sure if it will be demons or actual innocent survivors. I could have them be survivors just to make the story that much darker, but that's still up for internal debate. Anyways, after this is a scene where he's aimlessly wandering the deserts, seeking his next kill. Shapes loom in the distance, and he dismisses it as his mind giving him his daily hallucinations(he's insane now, remember?). They turn out to be real, and they look like a city with really high walls.</p><p>Looks like our MC has found Tel'Adre.</p><p>What's he going to do now?</p><hr/><p>Well, that's it for this AN. I could write more, and really I have so much more to talk about that I want to share with you all - but I feel as if I'm just holding you up for meaningless ramblings. I myself rarely read Author Notes, so who knows how many of you even read these.</p><p>Thanks for bothering to read this, and have a nice day! See you in Arc 2.</p><p>Creative_Irony, out.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Arc 2 Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>Focus.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Focus.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Steady breath.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ready stance.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Strike.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a burst of strength, I quickly brought my blade down towards my opponent. The metal flashed with a brilliant shine in the sunlight, travelling swiftly towards its mark-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then it was parried, knocked away from my hand, and falling to the ground. All within just a few moments. In the next instant, I had a blade at my own neck. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I sighed, and raised my hands in defeat. “I lose, Master.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The older man slowly withdrew his sword with a huff. “Syrin, I told you several times not to make big movements. I saw your attack coming even before your blade moved.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I picked up my sword and dusted it off, being careful not to cut my hands. “How do you do it? We’ve done this dozens of times and I still cannot understand what goes on in that split second that you parry my attack and disarm me at the same time.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That is because you are still telling me everything you are about to do. Every subtle detail like the small movements of the shoulders, arms and the stance of your enemy can tell you many things, my pupil. And once you anticipate which attack is coming, it is incredibly easy to manipulate your enemy into a position where his weapon is vulnerable - as you demonstrated just now.” He replied, returning to his original position.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Also, we are well past the phase where I directly show you how to do something. I have given you all the knowledge required to learn something yourself, Syrin. How you use that knowledge is up to you. Now, take up your blade. We will repeat this until I can no longer see your attack coming.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I groaned, and slowly raised my sword.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Always remember, my student. The basics like this are fundamental for your skill. In the world where you will be using these skills, you will not have the luxury of being able to accept defeat against your opponent. Stay calm, focused, and-” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘-Never show mercy.’</span>
  </em>
  <span> I finished, driving the blade of my knife through the guard’s ribs and into his lungs. His scream died in his throat as I clasped my hand over his mouth, using the other to pull the embedded blade out through the side of his torso. I let his dying body fall to the floor as I threw the knife towards the other guard that had just come around the corner. It sailed through the air, past his raised hands, through his eye socket and then into the brain. He stood there paralyzed for a few seconds, before slumping to the ground. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I pulled out the knife, wiping the blood on the body before looking at the campsite I was about to take on. I’d taken out all sentries, and the darkness of the light had hidden me well - unlike the fire at the middle, which had alerted me to its position in the first place. All that was left was to kill everybody else. Starting with the unfortunate one about to come out of his tent. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A blue-skinned, half drunk incubus wobbled out clutching a bottle of what I assumed to be alcohol while looking around with unfocused eyes. “Cerus, that you? I told you to go get some more…” he mumbled before his line of sight set on my bloodied form.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His eyes widened.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His mouth began opening to form a shout.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In that split second, I closed the distance between us and slammed my fist up into his jaw. The demon let out a muffled cry as his teeth pierced his own tongue, followed by a gurgle as I swept the knife across his throat. He clutched his bleeding neck in a futile attempt to stem the loss of blood, dropping his bottle in the process.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, what’s going on?” Another demon came out of the tent, evidently alerted by the crack of glass meeting hard ground. I grabbed him by the throat and was about to snap his neck when I realized there was still another demon inside.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Our eyes met.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Stealth compromised.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘Shut up, Shade.’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As the bones of the demonic dog-morph snapped in my hand, the remaining demon reached for an axe while throwing something at me. I easily dodged the projectile, the unknown object sailing past my head and onto the ground behind. I heard it roll to a stop as I grabbed the axe’s handle mid-swing, bringing my own weapon up and into his head. And as I began to slice downwards to make sure he was dead, I realized why I had dodged the thing so easily.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>* B O O M *</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first thing to hit was the shockwave, making my vision swim in circles and my ears ring. Then came the shrapnel, which despite being blocked a bit by the entrance and the two corpses still retained much of its speed. The last was the pain, from where I had suffered new injuries from said shrapnel.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Left arm, minor damage. Left leg, minor damage. Currently bleeding.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘I said shut the fuck up.’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I ignored the pain and pulled out the small fragment that had gotten stuck in my arm, stepping outside to greet the curious folks who would soon be coming out to investigate the explosion. A grin slowly showed itself on my face as the first of the crowd showed, sending alarmed shouts from all directions as they realized who I was. I let them shout this time. It wouldn’t matter anyway, for them nor for me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And besides… it was time to have some fun.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I began to laugh as I drew my sword, greeting the first of the demons with madness in my eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I was not the tiniest bit calm.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I was not focused either, not with my nonexistent sanity.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But I would heed one part of my lessons to my death - I would not show even an ounce of mercy to any of them. They would all die excruciating, torturous deaths while they envied their comrades who had died quickly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And this would be my life as long as I lived.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My grin only widened as the first scream of the night rang out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The flames of the fire flickered as I held a severed leg over them, crackling as drops of blood dripped from the limb onto the embers. Dancing rays of light illuminated the dozens of bodies that surrounded the campfire as I slowly rotated the piece of flesh, eager to get my fill. Sure, I could have raided their stores for the actual food, but this was much better. None of them deserved a peaceful rest even after death; their bodies would serve as nutrition for me so that I could kill even more of their ranks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I retrieved the slightly burnt leg from its place, taking a bite out of it. The skin was charred, the internals were somewhat undercooked, and overall it tasted like shit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I ate it anyway. I wasn’t expecting a top-notch meal, nor did I deserve it. The only thing I deserved was a gruesome death after I finished off every one of the demons, whenever that would be. For now all I had for myself was my ever-growing killcount, a second personality that knew nothing but slaughter, and the glorious embrace of insanity.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Speaking of insanity… </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I glanced up as a figure approached the fire. I already knew who it was, but I looked up to see their face anyway.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hello there, Amily. Come to visit again?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her body was in worse condition every time I saw her. Today she looked like the charred remains of her living self, with just enough left to barely appear alive. Ah, how I love the abilities of my mind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"..." She stood there silently, staring at me with her lifeless eyes. A piece of burnt flesh fell off of her cheek.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I think I set a new record today. An entire camp - big one too. Lost count after the first dozen but I think I killed maybe thirty of them. Could have been forty." I told her, tossing an arm into the fire. The fires dwindled down for a moment before taking in the new fuel, slowly burning the cold,dead flesh from the bone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on now, don’t be like that. You say something every time you come here, might as well get it over with.” I remarked. “You’re something I came up with anyway - why am I taking so long to talk to </span>
  <em>
    <span>myself</span>
  </em>
  <span> of all people?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...Syrin, you need to stop living like this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Really? Is </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> what I had to wait to listen to?” I laughed. “Now I’m curious as to whether you’re actually Amily’s ghost or a creation of my mind. I don’t intend on stopping anytime soon.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Syrin, you’re going to get yourself killed if you keep doing this!” she shot back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Die?” I said, my laughter abruptly ending. “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span> to die, Amily. In fact I’ve been dead for the past two months. Shade’s the only thing keeping me going, because we both want to kill every single demon in this world and I can’t do that while dead.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to do this, Syrin. You’ve done enough.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, Amily. I have </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> done enough. I will never have done enough until I’ve gotten revenge for everything that’s happened. And until I see all of those damned demons dead, that’s not happening.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...This is not the end of this.” Amily’s form began to fade away. I stood up and kicked some sand over the fire, putting it out instantly. The light from the flames vanished, shrouding the world with darkness. She disappeared along with the shadows.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll see you later, Amily.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Scorching heat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Blistering sun rays.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And the screams of dying demons.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All in all, a perfect fit for the desert landscape. Just add in a few more puddles of blood and- There. Perfect.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just another crazy day in my humble life.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The daily wave of hallucinations loomed in the distance as I strolled through the sand dunes, taking a moment to myself as I made my way towards my next target. Various memories, both distant and recent, showed themselves on the infinite sky as manifestations of my current mental state. I’d tried ignoring those when they first appeared. Now they were but just a daily nuisance, in fact sometimes I even enjoyed them. There was nothing to do when I was alone anyway.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m still going to kill you, traitor.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oh yeah, that one. One of my favorites. I’ll make sure to come after you when I’m done with the demons, Elders. Just wait and see.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Don’t make any sudden moves!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ah, a classic. First time meeting with Amily. Poor girl. Died because of me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Too bad you weren’t smart enough not to take a demon’s word.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I paused in my steps and watched through my mind’s eye as Zetaz swiped his claws over Amily’s throat, for what must have been the thousandth time. Every single detail, from the first drops of blood that seeped from the gaping wound to the shit-eating grin that Zetaz had, the tears that ran down my face as I brutally mauled him before beheading the imp leader, all of them were as clear as the day I had experienced them in real life.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a gruesome moment, and I watched it every time my mind decided it was time to replay it. I was forever cursed with the deaths I had caused, and I deserved to watch every single one of them when they returned. It only served as more fuel for my burning hatred of the demons.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They would all die. Every one of them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Syrin, I told you you don’t have to do this. Please, can’t you just drop everything and try to live peacefully?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oh, here she is again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello again, Amily.” I replied, starting to walk again. The bloodied figure moved alongside me, her legs not moving as she simply hovered in the air. Looks like my mind has decided to give her ghost features this time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want you to die, not like I did. Stop, please stop, Syrin. Stop torturing yourself over my death. You deserve better than this.” she pleaded.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I deserve nothing. My only way to repent for the deaths I left in my wake is to kill every demon I see.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...” Tears of blood began running down her face from eyeless sockets. I stood my ground and watched, unwilling to be deterred by something that wasn’t even real. If she was really a ghost then she belonged somewhere else; if she was a hallucination then it was just the weaker side of me trying to stop me in my tracks. Either way, that wasn’t happening.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Amily silently cried for a few more seconds, before the trickles of blood turned into streams that slowly ate away at her body. Before long, she had disappeared in a cascade of red which vanished along with her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I stood there for a minute, staring at the spot where she had faded away. Stooping over the ground, I brushed my fingers against the sand and brought it up to my view.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No blood. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I knew it was a hallucination, but by this point I had to check to make sure. Nothing seemed real. Maybe the demons I’d killed last night were fake as well, who knows? Anybody who could’ve told me what I was doing, was either dead or never existed in the first place.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Please, Amily, don’t come back. I’m getting tired of listening to you.” I muttered, before turning and resuming my path.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Except - I squinted as a blurry form near the horizon flashed in and out of existence. What was this? A new experimental hallucination by my broken mind?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The deformed shapes slowly rearranged themselves into a comprehensible form. A wall began to appear as I slowly trudged towards it. A very tall sandstone wall, maybe forty, fifty feet high - I had no way to tell. Guard towers lined the top every now and then, and faint silhouettes dotted their interior. If I had seen them, they had definitely seen me. A slight sensation went through my body as I stepped closer, somewhat between a burn and physical force - like an invisible wall of fire was trying to push me back. The entire visage of the city flickered for a second before the forces went away, returning the situation to normal.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I returned my gaze to the original wall I had seen. A large gate, looking to be built very heavy-duty and durable, caught my eye. A single guard stood by its side, holding… was he having a drink while on duty? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well, at least he’s not a demon. I won’t kill this one. Probably.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I laughed as I approached the gates, wondering how my mind had managed to come up with an entire goddamn city this time. Was it real? Was it fake? What kind of city posted a drunk guard at the gates?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The lone guard - a gray-furred fox-morph, and a female by her looks - tossed her bottle aside and whipped a halberd into place, pointing the business end at me. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Hold it!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> She barked, her fur bristling with suspicion at my appearance. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“What’s your business in Tel’Adre?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tel’Adre… Is that what this place is called?” I asked, ignoring her question.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The fox blinked in confusion. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Yes. Now answer my question!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>She demanded, keeping her halberd ready as she began to approach.</span>
  <em>
    <span> “What’s your business here?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I ignored her again.  “Are you real?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That took her by surprise, and the vixen actually lost her composure for a moment as she took in my query. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“...What?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the time it took for her to realize what I’d said, I closed the gap between us and slammed a fist up into her chin, knocking her back a few feet from the sheer force. She grunted in pain and surprise, then countered with a solid kick to my chest. I saw it coming miles away, but I let the blow land. A test of her abilities, I suppose.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was a pleasant surprise to see she actually packed a punch. The kick didn’t do much - but I actually felt it, unlike the pitiful blows I was used to from the demons I’d killed. There was real power behind the girl’s moves, power that one would not expect from her size. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This fight would be interesting.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I grinned as the fox charged again, stepping back just as the axe blade whizzed through the space my head occupied just a second ago. The metal glinted in the sunlight as she thrusted the spike point at me in rapid succession, with me dodging every attempt. After the fifth try she spun around, bringing the axe blade into a horizontal cleave. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I briefly considered taking out my sword to block the attack, then decided to just grab the weapon instead. If she was surprised by her halberd being grabbed in that split second, she didn’t show it - instead utilizing the fact I was holding it to launch into a flying kick aimed at my face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately for her, I’d seen her hands grabbing the shaft with more strength than normal. She stumbled mid-air, her balance ruined as I swung the halberd to the side, taking her with it. Her hands lost grip of the weapon, and she tumbled along the sand for a moment before rolling into a standing pose.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I tossed the halberd at her feet. “Is that all you got? I was expecting a better fight.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She stared at it, then returned her gaze to my eyes with a deadly glare. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“...Who are you?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> she spat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I decided to forego the sword, instead drawing my knife to make things more interesting. “My name is Syrin. Now fight me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her eyes narrowed as she picked up her weapon. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I am Urta, Captain of the Guard. Are you one of them?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I replied by rushing in and slashing my knife at her chest. She blocked with the shaft of the halberd, stepping back to keep her distance as I continued my close range assault. In tight quarters she was unable to fight properly with such a long weapon, and I wanted to see how she would respond. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I got my answer soon as on a slightly deep stab, she slammed the shaft down on my hand while bringing her knee up against the bottom. The blow forced my fingers open, dropping the knife while she then swung the far side of the pole up towards my head. I easily grabbed it - and in the instant it took for me to think that I had grabbed it a bit </span>
  <em>
    <span>too</span>
  </em>
  <span> easily she was using my hold as an anchor point to swing the axe up towards my crotch.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dirty move. But all’s fair in love and war, right?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Which was why I expected her to completely understand when I responded by kicking sand in her face, using the same foot to stop the blade. She stumbled back, instinctively trying to clear her eyes - then gasped as I slammed the bottom end of the shaft into her solar plexus. She coughed, struggling to breathe before I punched her full on the nose.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a sickening </span>
  <em>
    <span>crunch</span>
  </em>
  <span> as it broke, sending drops of blood dripping down her snout as she collapsed to the ground. Ragged wheezes escaped her mouth as she desperately tried to regain her breath, her chest heaving with each attempt. I watched her for a minute, waiting until her breathing returned to somewhat average levels.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I tossed the halberd at her once more. “Get up. We’re not done yet.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She grabbed it with trembling hands, using it to push herself to her feet. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“Who-what...are...you?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she growled through clenched teeth.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I retrieved my knife, dusting it off as I gave my answer. “My name is Syrin. My goal is to kill every demon in this world and get my revenge. Everything else is meaningless.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What... why are you doing this? Tel’Adre is one of the last safe havens from the demons!” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she yelled, one of her hands clutching the spot where I’d struck her with the blunt end of the halberd. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“All you had to do was tell me why you were here, and I would have let you in!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You offered a fight, I took it.” I replied. “Take up your weapon. We continue fighting until you die.” Originally I hadn’t intended to kill her as she was not a demon, but she had proved herself a worthy kill.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The vixen stared at me for a moment before slowly raising her halberd. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“I have a duty to protect the citizens.” </span>
  </em>
  <span>she hissed. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“As Captain of the Guard, I will do everything it takes to keep you from setting foot in Tel’Adre, even if it costs me my life.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There’s that name again. Tel’Adre… where did I hear that before?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My eyes widened in realization as she charged, her weapon poised to strike.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“It’s not like I don’t have a regular supply of those anyway, I can get more from Tel’Adre when I go to sell my produce.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Whitney…” I whispered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My body moved on its own as Shade sensed my current state was about to result in serious injury. Memories of the dead dog-girl began flooding in through the fog of rage and madness that had occupied my mind since Amily’s death while he fought in my place. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first time I met her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Spending the night at her farm.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her blush that dotted her cheeks when I teased her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sobbing as she begged me to stay.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Her cold, dead body, hanging from the-</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I snapped back to reality as that particular moment resurfaced. The eyes. The unmoving, wordless eyes. Eyes of a dead soul who would forever haunt me for making her kill herself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They were everywhere.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Every direction I looked, there they were. Meeting my gaze with the heart-stopping coldness that only dead beings could generate.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You killed me.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You killed me.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You-</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I screamed as I wrenched control back from Shade, who by this point had disarmed the fox once more and was currently sending a left hook sailing into her gut. Rage fueled my muscles as I put more strength into the blow, feeling the impact transfer into her liver as it landed. She cried out in pain as her body began to shut down from the blow, moving on instinct to protect the organ. I grabbed her by the shoulders, pushing her down into a brutal knee strike to her chest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her ribs broke.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I relished in the sounds of agony that came from the staggering vixen as I rained blows down upon her face, grabbing her by the back of her head so she couldn’t fall to the ground. Blood splashed over my knuckles as an eye began to swell shut, her body going limp under the assault. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I paused mid-punch when I noticed she was about to fall unconscious, choosing instead to slap her back to her senses. “You made me remember something I never wanted to see again.” I growled, making sure her good eye was looking at me. “You’re going to beg for death by the time I’m done with you.” I tossed her limp form aside and went for her halberd, taking the weapon into my hands for the third time of the encounter. I took a moment to inspect it, taking note of the superior build quality and well-structured design. It was certainly a fine piece of work, and she had evidently taken good care of it as well.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Too bad I was going to use it on its owner now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s start with your feet, shall we?” I jokingly suggested, raising the axe blade into the air. Her one good eye burned with a multitude of emotions in that moment, staring straight at me as she struggled to escape with unresponsive limbs. I laughed at her futile attempt, bringing the blade down onto her-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘ARROW!’</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I immediately dove to the ground, an arrow whizzing past the space where my head had been. The halberd fell onto the sand, discarded in the process while I rolled to my feet and took a look at my new assailant.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A large-chested centauress stood in front of the gate, a smaller door cut into it closing behind her. She held a massive bow with another arrow already notched, her gaze hard and filled with intent to kill. No doubt she was furious with me beating up the ‘captain of the guard’ as the vixen had introduced herself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“This one will not miss. Surrender yourself, intruder.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> The bow creaked as she pulled the string back another notch.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘97% chance of getting shot if choosing to attack.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I’d only managed to dodge the first one because she hadn’t anticipated that I would be able to detect the shot. She was correct - at this range, this one would not miss.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘Can I take a shot and survive?’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Negative. Getting hit in the arms or legs will render you unable to fight. A hit to the torso will either be a critical hit or fatal.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘Can my sword block the shot?’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Unlikely. You will be hit before you draw it.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I would much rather die than surrender to anyone, but I could not accomplish my goals if I was dead. Though, if surrendering to this centauress meant I’d be behind bars for the rest of my life I might as well just die here...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Unnnggghh..”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The gray fox groaned as she finally started to come to her senses, trying to sit up. The archer’s eyes shifted to her for a split second - and I saw my opening. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I threw myself towards the vixen, doing anything to increase the chance of the mare hesitating to shoot lest she hit her comrade. The </span>
  <em>
    <span>swish</span>
  </em>
  <span> of the bowstring being released dashed that possibility, and the searing pain of flesh being torn apart made itself known as the arrow ripped through the edge of my left forearm.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Superficial vein severed. Moderate bleeding levels. You have about one second until she reloads.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ignoring the pain from the newly acquired wound, I snatched up the discarded halberd and heaved it at the centaur. I knew she wouldn’t be able to dodge it, not at this range and with her body mass - and my prediction proved correct as she opted to block the incoming attack with the bow. Splinters flew everywhere as the wooden construct cracked, and I used the newly bought time to close the distance with my sword drawn.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“DIE, FIEND!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> The centaur roared, drawing a sword of her own as she charged. I rolled under her slash, utilizing the fact her upper body was too high up to properly strike mine. Blood spurted from the mare’s underbelly as I brought the blade up and across her lower torso before ducking out of the way. She bellowed in pain before rearing up, bringing her blade down in a thunderous vertical strike. I sidestepped the blow, feeling the ground shake from the sheer force while jumping to her side and then onto her back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“HOW DARE YOU...!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Giddyup, horsey!” I shouted, before flipping myself over her strained effort to strike me with her sword. Metal glinted in the sunlight as I brought the tip of my own blade down towards her back. I’d fought a few centaurs before in my quest of exterminating the demons - and if she was anything like them, then this would paralyze her lower body. Judging from the way her eyes widened as she realized what I was about to do, she was indeed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘THE DOOR!’</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘What?’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I had just enough time to look up to see a robed silhouette emerge from the small door before a bolt of lightning struck my chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My sword dropped from my hands as every muscle in my body spasmed from the electricity coursing through its nerves, momentarily stunned. The world flipped upside down as I fell head-first from what had originally been a well-balanced landing, and then I saw stars as my head impacted the ground.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Footsteps.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not the centaur’s. Who?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A face appeared in my swimming vision as I lay on my back, unable to move.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I managed to make out a white, scaly snout, and a pair of striking blue eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then the figure reached a hand to my forehead, and there was nothing.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey, all.</p><p>So. Long time no see, huh?</p><p>Yeah... writer's block, plus life issues.</p><p>Anyways, Arc 2 is off to a start. Yes, that's Arian at the end. Catch y'all in chapter 2.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Arc 2 Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>“-seen what he did to Urta-”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“-we can’t afford-”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Wake up.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“-He’s still movi-”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“-legs! Tie him down-”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Wake up.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“-not holding! Arian-”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>Wake up.</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“-away from him! This-”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Get off- AAAAHHHH-”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>WAKE UP.</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“-do it! Do it now-”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>WAKE. UP.</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“-AAARRGGG-”</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Syrin, I said WAKE UP!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I woke with a start, hand bolting to my knife as I looked around for threats, only to recoil as a furry palm lightly slapped my cheek.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You silly little… I pour out my life story to you, and you fall asleep in the middle of it?” Amily demanded, a slight frown on her face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh… Um… Sorry?” I sheepishly offered, scratching my head as the mouse-girl pouted. She sighed, then smiled as she turned to face the growing sunset on the horizon, a slight breeze brushing her hair across her head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess I can’t blame you. Heck, with this view and this weather I’m starting to feel a bit drowsy as well. It really is beautiful, isn’t it?” she murmured, absentmindedly rubbing a hand across the slight bump in her belly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...Yeah, it really is.” I commented, looking out over the fields of the farm as the sun’s last rays of light for the day began to cast shadows upon the land. It was a remarkable work of art by this world’s nature, second only to the ones I’d seen back in Ingnam. That being said, it still didn’t change the fact that this world was plagued by the demons and their hedonistic acts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...It’s somewhat ironic that it’s possible to get a view like this in a world where most of the inhabitants are only capable of thinking about sex and fucking each other.” I said, voicing my thoughts.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It is, isn’t it?” Amily replied. She turned to face me, meeting her gaze with mine as I turned to face her as well. “But dwelling on those things won’t change anything, Syrin. So unless you want them to somehow make the sunset a sexual thing as well, the only thing you can really do is focus on what you have right now and move on.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The mouse looked at me for a moment, then grinned and dragged my hands to her belly, covering them with her own. “For example, making sure our kids grow up nice and strong.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She snickered as I tried to pull my hands back in shock, then stammering as I realized what had just happened. “Jeez, you really have zero experience in this kind of thing, don’t you?” she laughed. “And here I thought I was the beginner.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I- I, well I- you surprised me and-” My strained efforts to make an answer to her remark were stifled as she pulled me into a tight hug, her body heat permeating my fur upon contact. I instinctively wrapped my own arms around her, pulling her into the embrace.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I loved hugging her - more than anything else, even having sex with her as well, probably. It was one of the few things that made me feel like a being of worth again, that I was someone who deserved to be happy. It was my emotional pillar, and Amily was the only one keeping it upright.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I love her so much. For everything she’s done for me, for everything she would do for me, and everything she would bring to me. A family, love and a happy life.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I’ll prove it every chance I have. I’ll make her happy no matter what.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So, Syrin, have you ever thought that you should have listened to me better?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” I snapped out of my thoughts, confused by her question.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I told you, no, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>begged</span>
  </em>
  <span> you to stop.” Amily stated, her tone cold and emotionless. She pushed me away, standing up as she did so.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Amily, what are you talking about-” My words caught in my throat as her clothing ripped away, leaving her naked form exposed to the darkening sky. Scratches of various sizes materialised everywhere on her body, most of them starting to bleed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I told you to stop torturing yourself over my death. That you would eventually die living like this.” Blood began dripping down her legs as the skin around her nethers tore apart, like someone had forcefully rammed something inside her. She took a step forward as the trails of red thickened.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I started to back up, cringing as the blood left a partial footprint on the blanket we’d been sitting on. “Amily- I- What is-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A deep gash sliced itself open on her neck. Blood began spurting in steady droves as the open wound began draining her body fluids into the outside world. I choked, gagging as bile rose in my throat in response to the gruesome sight.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She took another step closer. I panicked, trying to scramble away as she - no, </span>
  <em>
    <span>it</span>
  </em>
  <span> continued. “I told you that you had done enough. I told you that you deserved better. But you didn’t listen. You never did.” Its eyes rolled up into their sockets. The skin of its body rapidly paled as the streams of blood began to slow down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I felt my back press against a rock, preventing me from backing away any further. Still the thing continued, locking me in place as my body froze up in sheer horror. The sickening stench of burning flesh filled the air as it ignited, its body turning into a walking inferno in moments. I winced in pain as the heat began to scorch my skin - and still I found myself unable to move, much less look away from what had used to be my wife.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And still it kept on coming.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You told me you deserved nothing.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> It said, stopping just a step away. I felt blisters starting to form on my feet from the flames, but now I couldn’t even make any sounds. All that came from my mouth was a series of muffled cries as the thing stooped over, matching its eye level to mine. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You said the only way to repent for your deeds was to kill everything that moved.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> The thing’s head began extending out from its neck, moving in a way that could be described as anything but natural. I gagged, struggling against my nonexistent bonds as the sheer horror of everything threatened to make me black out. The pain from the flames, however, kept me awake. Making me feel every tingle of dread and every sting of agony just as clear as before.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And still the thing crept closer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“So tell me, Syrin. Was it worth it?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The burning head stopped just inches from mine. Soulless eyes stared into my own as I looked at the thing that had once been a smiling Amily, begging for the sweet embrace of unconsciousness to take me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This has to be a dream. It has to be.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“W a s   i t   w o r t h   i t ?”</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Its jaws unhinged themselves, opening up to create a void of space impossibly larger than what it should have been capable of. Endless darkness filled the space between as it crept forward.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I finally screamed as it fully engulfed my head, plunging my world into nothingness.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~-~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Clink.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I woke with a start, immediately being knocked back as the chains on my body restrained the movement. I took a moment to view my surroundings, noting the bare walls of the cell and the sole entrance - a solid metal door with no windows. As for my bindings, well… they sure didn’t waste any caution on me. I’d been chained down on every space possible, with a few extra cuffs holding my tail in place as well. I could even see numerous magical runes on the floor, glowing with a faint light as they did… whatever they were doing to make sure I stayed where I was.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Well, looks like I’m not going anywhere any time soon.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘Any ideas, Shade?’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silence.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>‘Shade?’</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Still no answer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was at this point I finally realized - I no longer felt his presence in my mind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My ever-present companion, who was only interested in how to kill more and efficiently, there since my downfall began - was not there.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was gone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I was now truly alone. Again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No matter, the important thing now was to figure out how to get out of here. But it seemed the only way that would happen was for someone to come here, which they would eventually. Otherwise I would not still be alive; they obviously wanted something that I had. Whatever that was, I’d find out soon.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I began to think about the mage that had knocked me out. Whoever it was, they were incredibly skilled. I’d seen my fair share of magic while fighting the demons, and I had a decent sense of how to deal with magic-wielding foes. But this one… this one was different. Their skills were on a completely different level. During that short moment when I was in midair and unable to dodge properly, they’d charged up a lightning bolt with just enough power not to kill me - and scored a direct hit on a moving target from a fair distance away. That kind of control and accuracy did not come from luck.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My ears pricked up, detecting the sound of footsteps approaching.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>So they know I’ve woken up.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The footsteps stopped in front of the door, and I waited for whoever was on the other side to open it. Instead, a prickling sensation swept across my body as I watched the runes on the floor slowly disintegrate. I suddenly felt as if a huge amount of tension had been taken away, only realizing now what their purpose had been.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The chains weren’t the ones keeping me in place, it was the runes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I confirmed my new suspicion as I gave the one on my right arm a tug, feeling the metal give a tiny bit. However, before I could try putting more strength into the effort the door finally swung open, snapping my sights back to the newcomer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. This entire room will collapse on itself if any of those chains break.” The hooded figure said, stopping a few feet away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I stared at him for a moment, trying to get a glimpse of his face. He felt familiar somehow, like we’d met before… Oh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You.” I flatly stated. “You’re the mage, aren’t you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I knew this would be useless.” he sighed, then reached up and removed his hood. The same blue eyes from before gazed into mine as I finally got a good look at him… her?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re a female.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Indeed I am. What would you be?” she replied, her expression unwavering.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...” I stayed silent for a few seconds as I studied the mage. She stood in a neutral pose - not exactly a battle stance, but not far from it either. Ready to fight at a moment’s notice while not showing it, and keeping a good distance from me as well. Despite all of my restraints and what other magical defenses this room had, she was not letting her guard down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I was correct - she was no ordinary mage. She had to be one of the top mages of this place.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My name is Syrin. But you probably already know that, don’t you?” I snorted. “What do you exactly want?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who are you?” she asked. “You show up out of nowhere and single-handedly beat two of the best fighters of the Guard, and then you claim your sole purpose is to kill every demon in this world. And aside from that…” She paused as an orb of light formed above her hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you know you had a second personality?” she asked, the light hovering in midair. “You were supposed to stay unconscious for two more days when they woke up, broke free from </span>
  <em>
    <span>three</span>
  </em>
  <span> sets of chains and managed to heavily injure two more guards with just your left arm before getting incapacitated again. I had never seen such a feat of strength before, not even from you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I stared at her, the realization of what had happened coming to light. “What did you do to Shade?” I snarled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Was that their name?” the mage replied. “I removed it from you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“WHAT?” I roared, the chains straining as I leapt at her, held back only by the bindings and the various spells draining my strength.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She remained unfazed at my outburst. “Were you aware of what was happening to… Shade?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I ignored her question, repeatedly attempting to break free. The metal of the chains creaked, trembling as I felt one of the links give ever so slightly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Those chains can hold a large minotaur in place under any condition, and yet you’re managing to start causing damage to it with several dampers draining your energy. That kind of power can only come from delving into the corruption of the demons, but you are no demon. Have you ever wondered how exactly this is possible?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll kill you.” I promised, the weakened link starting to give even more ground as I poured everything I had into making it snap.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“All in good time, Syrin.” she said. “But you should hear this before doing that. You were indeed corrupted - to a severe degree at that. For some reason however, most of the corruption went into your other personality instead of you. You were using the powers it offered without paying the price - which is an interesting case. I have never seen this happen before.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Even with that considered, your own corruption is nothing to ignore.” she continued. “No amount of magic will determine the exact level - but you are well underway on the path of becoming one of them. How does that sound to you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I finally paused upon hearing those words, the news that I was becoming a demon myself bringing me out of my blind rage. “...How close am I?” I quietly asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The light moved over to my head, where it began blinking. A few moments later I realized it was slowly changing color, darkening into a shade of gray from the pristine white and showing no signs of stopping. Silence filled the air as the orb continued to blink, until the change finally halted at a dark gray hue.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I stared at the results while the mage continued speaking. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“White means you are pure.” she stated. “Black… means you would not be in here alive. And you are, well… closer than you would like to be, I suppose.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I began to chuckle, broken laughter leaving my lips as I took in the situation. “This is how it ends, isn’t it? Pledging myself to kill every demon there is, and I end up turning into one myself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She waited until my laughter subsided before speaking up once more. “I believe I have a proposal that should be of your interest.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And what would that be, mage?” I retorted.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can treat your corruption, to a certain extent. You are already too far gone to be a pure soul again, but I can at least take you further away from what lies at the end of that path.” she answered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I raised an eyebrow at her offer, mildly intrigued. “There’s no way you’re doing that for free. What do you want?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Work for me.” she replied.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Work for me.” she repeated. “Work for me and help me defend this city from the demons. You can kill them as much as you want, just make sure you’re helping to keep this place safe as you do it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...What if I refuse?” I asked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then you die.” came her reply. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I laughed at her answer. “Of course I die. Tell me, did you really go through the trouble of all this to keep me restrained, just to kill me when I say no? You obviously need me, you wouldn’t have kept me alive otherwise.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A flash of white.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was all I saw before I suddenly found myself hoisted up, forced to look straight at the mage as she snarled, her facial features bristling with anger.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘What- how did she move that fast?`</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“I am not a lizan of much patience, Syrin. Not anymore.” </b>
  <span>she spat, squeezing my neck with strength unpredictable from her body size. </span>
  <b>“You WILL work for me, one way or the other.”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I gazed at her in silence for a few seconds before sneering. “What’s the other way?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“...”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A familiar sensation.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That uncanny, eerie feeling of dread that cannot be expressed in words.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The experience of having your mind invaded by one not your own.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I coughed, trying desperately to wrench myself away from the mage’s eyes as she channeled that all-too-familiar spell into her hold, her conscious beginning to slip past my defenses. My limbs began losing strength as she started taking control, despite my attempts to block her out with any means possible.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Fucking Lenora and her mind control all over again…’</span>
  </em>
  <span> I managed to think, my thought processes already growing hazy. The walls of the cell seemed to stretch and bend, my vision starting to fail as the spell neared completion.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>“NO!”</b>
  <span> I roared, my restraints creaking as I finally managed to tear myself away from her grasp. </span>
  <b>“NOT AGAIN! JUST KILL ME, YOU BITCH!”</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was all for naught.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m a lizan, dear. You’re too late anyway.” she replied, grabbing my head again and softly stroking a hand down my cheek as I finally felt my limbs drooping, unable to control my body of my own will anymore. My mind would follow in its steps soon, if the experience from Lenora was of anything. All I could do was weakly glare at her as she finished the process, a sickening motherly smile on her face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Just like that time.’</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That was my last thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now then,” she said, stepping away to admire her work. “Who am I, Syrin?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Mistress.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The single word that formed instantly as a response to the query. A response that left whatever remained of me utterly disgusted at being in this exact situation yet again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And soon, even that disgust began to fade into nothing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mis...Mistress.” I found myself saying, fighting the word at every syllable. It was hopeless. I wouldn’t even be able to know what I was doing soon.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She looked at me with an unreadable expression.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And in the next moment, I felt her control receding from my mind as she released me. I immediately began coughing and sputtering, shaking my head this way and that as I tried purging myself of the memory. Throughout it all the mage stared at me as I recovered from the intrusion.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s the other way.” she stated flatly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If looks could kill, I would have burned her, this cell and this entire damned city to ashes with the rage in my glare. Alas, looks alone had no such power.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I glared at her for a few more seconds, then turned my head and spat on the ground. “Fine. I’ll work for you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Anything but that. The worst thing to happen aside from dying to a demon was being forced to do something I had no control over whatsoever. Even worse was if I did that </span>
  <em>
    <span>willingly</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Once had already been enough; I was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> going to be someone’s mind slave, never again. At least this way I was aware that I was being forced to do it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With a snap of the lizan’s fingers, the chains and restraints on my limbs fell to the floor. I stood up, enjoying the regained freedom while warily keeping distance from the mage. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What now?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Follow me. You have a lot of work to do, including cleaning up the mess you made on your way in.” she said, turning and heading for the sole exit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As you wish, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Mistress.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” I shot mockingly at her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She paused briefly at that, a single blue eye glancing over her shoulder to look at me before resuming her path.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My name is Arian.” she replied. “Archmage of the Covenant.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well hello there.</p><p>Been a while hasn't it? College life sucks. Doesn't help that I had to rewrite this chapter like three times. This is the part where Syrin and Arian meet for the first time(technically, second time), so I deemed it very important that I get it just right on how exactly their relationship starts. Then comes the complicated part on getting the setting of Arian's character, and making everything make sense like why she acts the way she does, why she captures Syrin alive in Chapter 1 instead of just killing him and all that.</p><p>As you all already know, I am no professional writer(and likely never will be) so even this rewrite will have its errors. I'm just hoping it will have much less than the original version, and that the storyline overall builds up with better quality. </p><p>Catch you all in the next chapter, whenever that is.</p><p>Creative_Irony, out.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>